Meet Audrey Kostrzewa, PharmD, MPH, BCPS! She is an associate professor of pharmacy practice at Concordia University Wisconsin School of Pharmacy and a medication utilization pharmacist at Froedtert & The Medical College of Wisconsin.
In addition to her career as a pharmacist and professor, Dr. Kostrzewa has been a Girl Scout for many years. She believes that her time as a Girl Scout has significantly influenced her professional journey, especially as a woman in a STEM field.
We had the pleasure of asking Dr. Kostrzewa about her experiences in both her career and with the Girl Scouts. Here’s what she shared:
When and where did you first become involved in the Girl Scouts?
I first became involved with the Girl Scouts when I was in kindergarten in Roseville, MN.
How long were you a Girl Scout?
I still am a Girl Scout! I spent my years from kindergarten through twelfth grade as a Girl Scout and now I’m a Lifetime Girl Scout.
What are some of the important values, lessons, and skills you learned as a Girl Scout?
When reflecting on my years of badge work, meetings, fundraising, field trips, sleepovers, camps, etc., the most important things I gained during my time as a Girl Scout are the following:
- Heart – a love for service
- Gut – motivation for lifelong learning
- Head – tangible/translatable skills to bring with me into the world
I like to think my time as a Girl Scout helped me grow into a well-rounded and productive citizen and a compassionate pharmacist who deeply cares about her students, patients, and community.
I also had SO MUCH FUN as a Girl Scout. Thinking back on the experiences I had brings a big smile to my face. The memories that stick out the most for me are:
- SWAPS at camp (SWAPS are small homemade friendship tokens)
- Sleepovers in the natural history museum and planetarium
- A field trip to the science museum to learn about cryogenics (from an awesome female scientist!)
- A big trip to the U.K. with my troop after saving up fundraising money for years
- Accepting my Gold Award on stage during my senior year of high school
The values, lessons, and skills gained by participating in the Girl Scouts are certainly important, but so is all the fun!
How do these values, lessons, and skills apply to your role as a pharmacist?
Service
Service is the pinnacle of my role as a pharmacist and a faculty member. Service to the community, service to the school/university, and service to the profession aren’t only valued greatly but are also an expectation in my role.
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