The USC College of Pharmacy has selected Anna Levis and Ally Nielsen as the 2025 Walker Leadership Scholars, recognizing their commitment to leadership development and professional excellence.
The Walker Leadership Scholars Program provides high-capacity student leaders opportunities to accelerate their leadership development through experiential learning and mentorship, preparing them to transform health care and make substantial contributions to pharmacy.
Levis, from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, serves as vice president of recruitment for Kappa Epsilon, Fighting Diabetes Initiative chair for SNPhA and head of social media for ACCP. She is also a College of Pharmacy ambassador, P1 mentor and member of the college's recruitment committee. Outside the college, she is active in Epsilon Sigma Alpha, a community service organization at USC.
"I love being able to give back to the communities that have gotten me to where I am today, whether that be through service, leadership efforts or mentorship," Levis says.
She discovered pharmacy through her mother, a high school counselor, and was drawn to the profession after attending pharmacy camps during high school. Her interest in ambulatory care and diabetes management stems from seeing family members with Type 1 diabetes navigate daily challenges.
"Being a part of this program is something that I never thought I would even be able to achieve," Levis says. "Now that I'm here, it's just surreal, and I'm very excited to take advantage of all the opportunities that being part of Walker Leadership Scholars offers."
I hope the WLS program pushes me to step outside of my comfort zone, seek new opportunities and develop my confidence as I enter the pharmacy profession.
Nielsen, from Indian Trail, North Carolina, works as a pharmacy administrative intern at Prisma Health and as a teaching assistant for pharmacy compounding and community lab experiences. She serves as the Christian Pharmacists Fellowship International Southeast Regional Director and is involved in research on the South Carolina Pharmacy Practice Act. She also mentors freshmen in the South Carolina Honors College, first-year pharmacy students, and international students through USC's Buddies Beyond Borders initiative.
Nielsen was drawn to pharmacy after shadowing a pharmacist at a local independent pharmacy during high school. She was accepted into the South Carolina Honors College and the Gamecock Pharmacy Assurance Program. While she currently works in health systems pharmacy administration, she remains open to exploring various career paths including ambulatory care and clinical pharmacy.
"I often describe myself as a 'little L' leader, meaning I tend to prefer leading in small group settings or behind the scenes," Nielsen says. "I hope the WLS program pushes me to step outside of my comfort zone, seek new opportunities and develop my confidence as I enter the pharmacy profession."
Topics: Pharm.D. Program, Curricular Tracks, Walker Leadership Scholars Program