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Q&A: Cooper Finds Caring Atmosphere at UT Tyler

CooperP4 pharmacy student Vikki Cooper of Beaumont will graduate next May. She overcame obstacles before and during the COVID-19 pandemic and now has a second chance at an education – all thanks to UT Tyler. Learn more about Cooper and how the University encouraged and helped her.

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

I started my career in retail pharmacy in 1996 at K-Mart as a pharmacy technician. I worked for that company for two years, then I moved on to work for Walgreens for five years. My most recent employment was with CVS, and I worked at that company as both a pharmacy technician and a pharmacist intern for 16 years.

I have two adult daughters (Tabitha, age 28, and Tiarra, age 26), two teenage sons (Kaleb “Troy”, age 16, and Jashua, age 14). And, I have three grandchildren (Simone, 6 years old, Kaiden, 6 years old, and Cali, 2 years old). My adult children and my grandkids reside in Houston, and my two boys and I live here in Tyler.

Describe your educational journey. . .How did you discover UT Tyler?

Back in 2005, I was attending school at Lamar University in Beaumont, but our home was destroyed by Hurricane Rita, so we decided to move to Houston. I enrolled at Lone Star Community College in 2007, and I received my associate degree in human services in May 2010. After not finding a job in that field, I decided to return to school and I enrolled at Texas Southern University as a pre-pharmacy student in spring 2011.

When I was preparing to apply to pharmacy school in the fall of 2014, I searched online for “pharmacy schools in Texas.” As I was reading through the list, I came across the Ben and Maytee Fisch College of Pharmacy in Tyler. After reading about the team-based learning approach that their pharmacy school program offered, I was no longer interested in reading about any of the other schools. I applied, and I was offered an interview. When the time came, my family and I drove from Houston to attend the two-day event. I was so nervous the entire way there because I knew that this was a big deal and I really wanted to do well. The first day was family and friends meet-and-greet and it went well.

Dean Brunner and the faculty members provided a really warm and inviting atmosphere and before I knew it, I was no longer nervous. I met some really great people that night, and I had a great time. But I met one person in particular at that event who has been an integral part of my career as a student, and his name is Dr. Brad Brazill. After walking around the event for a couple of hours I decided to sit down because my feet were hurting. I don’t know which one of us was at the table first, but I was just sitting there, and this very nice gentleman started a conversation with me and was asking me about myself.

As I was talking to him, I realized that he was actively listening to me and he was genuinely interested in what I was saying. Truth be told, he is the reason I knew that this school would be a good fit for me. I didn’t know it at the time, but he is a department chair. As a matter of fact, I don’t recall that he ever mentioned his position with the school at any point during our conversation – it was just two people having a great conversation the entire time.

How did the University help you on that journey?

My two young sons and I moved to Tyler from Houston in the summer of 2015 so that I could attend pharmacy school. At the time my sons were 10 and 8 years old. It was difficult to leave Houston where I had the support of my family and then move to Tyler with two young boys in tow. For the first three months we had to rely on food and clothing from PATH ministries, food pantries and other local community assistance programs. I was going to school full-time and working part-time at CVS, driving for LYFT, Uber, and Uber eats. It was hard trying to keep up. Especially since it was my first year of pharmacy school. I was doing my best to do whatever I could to bring in money to support my two sons and keep up with my schoolwork. On top of all of this, our apartment flooded due to a plumbing issue. We lost clothes, shoes, furniture…you name it. I didn’t know how we were going to make it.

Then I remembered that our school had a program that offered Emergency Funds on a case-by-case basis. So, I went to the Office of Student Affairs one morning, and I talked to the dean of that department about my situation. I filled out a request form and then went to class while my application was being processed. A few hours later I received an email informing me that I was approved. There were a few times when my vehicle broke down, and I was approved for emergency assistance. Most recently in the month of April my youngest son contracted the coronavirus while we were in Houston. He was really sick, and I was so scared. I didn’t have the funds to buy extra cleaning supplies, we were running out of food, we needed masks, gloves, gas for my vehicle, etc. I applied for the scholarship that was being offered at that time, and I was approved. Once again, UT Tyler helped my family and me when we were in need.

There was a time when my son was in the hospital for an extended period of time, and Dean Brunner wrote my son a letter to lend his support and wish him a speedy recovery. There are no words to describe how much it meant to my son and me that the dean of my school reached out. There are so many other key individuals at my school that have stepped in and helped my family and I during my entire time here at UT Tyler. I wish I could mention them all by name, but they know who they are because I thank them each time I run into them in the hallway, or I have sent them thank you emails.

How has UT Tyler prepared you for a successful career?

UT Tyler has prepared me for a successful career as a pharmacist that specializes in medication safety and patient focused care because it has given me the skills necessary to enter the field of pharmacy with the confidence and assurance that medication and patient safety will guide all of my clinical decisions.

What are your hobbies/interests?

I love spending time with my grandkids, enjoying live music and going to the movies.

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