WELCOME TO WEST TEXAS PHARMACY ASSOCIATION

 

Letter from the President 

 

Dear members, friends, and guests of WTPA, 

As the 2024-2025 President of the West Texas Pharmacy Association, I would like to express my deepest gratitude for your continued support of our organization. WTPA was established in 1921, and for over 100 years has continued to expand and cultivate the profession of pharmacy. With the three pillars of our association being scholarship, fellowship, and continuing education, WTPA has created a lasting impact on students, pharmacists, and pharmacy technicians. As a past recipient of the WTPA scholarship and now as a pharmacist, I can say with confidence that this is one of the most generous and authentic groups I've ever had the honor of serving. When I was a young, nervous, first-year pharmacy student, a long-time family friend invited me to attend the conference. Even though I had missed the scholarship deadline, I took a chance and registered to see what it was all about. I was met with friendly, welcoming pharmacists, and got to hear stories from some of WTPA's founding members. I left feeling like I had attended a family reunion - you could truly feel the fellowship amongst the members. I received scholarships the next 3 years and became a student board member, but I think I would have attended even if there were no scholarships. The generosity of this association is unmatched by any other I've been part of. If you've attended one of our conferences, or if this is the first year you do, you'll often hear the phrase "it's for the students", and we mean it every time it is uttered. Since then, I look forward to the conference every year and I hope you all do, too. It is an honor to now have the opportunity to give back to an organization that gave so much to me. 

We all know the myriad of struggles that we face in this industry, and each year somehow it seems to get harder. Let WTPA be a source of encouragement and a well to "refill your cup" from. WTPA has a way of reminding us why we do what we do, and I challenge you to invite a coworker this year so that more people can receive that fellowship. Again, thank you for your faithful support of WTPA but even more for serving your communities in an often thankless industry. The work you do makes a difference to so many people and the ripple effect is huge! I hope to see you at the 2025 WTPA Conference in Amarillo, Texas. 

Kimberly Luna