Veteran takes inspiration from military service to pharmacy school

As Veterans Day approached, pharmacy student Ashley Aday reflected on the lessons learned from her military service. Aday's time in the U.S. Army led her first to Afghanistan and inspired her to pursue a pharmacy career. Now a student at Washington State University, she recently received a scholarship established by Steven and Natalie-Stewart Smith, two alumni who also served in the U.S. Army as commissioned officers.

"The military teaches you how short life is and how important it is to do what makes you happy," Aday said. "The military made me grow up, and it's why I'm able to take school so seriously now."

For many, the path to a professional career is a straight line from high school to college to work. But for some like Aday the journey is different.

Growing up in Idaho, the idea of college seemed distant. Both her parents didn't go to college, so she felt it wasn't really an option. Wanting to do something meaningful, she enlisted in the U.S. Army in 2009 not only to serve her country but also to explore a world far removed from her small town.

"I wanted to see what it was like in a war zone for myself rather than taking other peoples' opinions about it," Aday said.

First stationed at Fort Lewis, Washington, Aday spent the next few years in various parts of the U.S. and abroad. In 2012, at the age of 22, she was deployed to Afghanistan, where she was attached to an artillery unit, repairing weapons and keeping soldiers safe on the front lines.

"I fixed everything from small weapons to the big M777 Howitzers. It was a tough job, but one that made me proud," she said.

In the first week she was there, she was woken up by gunfire on Forward Operating Base Frontenac near Kandahar in the middle of the night after four people had infiltrated the base.

"I thought to myself at that moment, 'What have I gotten myself into?'" Aday said.

Amid the challenges of deployment, she found inspiration. On convoys to remote forward operating bases, she encountered Afghan children.

"Some kids were kind and curious, while others, so young, already had so much hate. It was heartbreaking," she said.

What left a lasting impression, though, was seeing fellow soldiers hand out gummy vitamins to the children, who eagerly accepted the "candy."

"That's when I realized I wanted to help people through medicine," she said.

After leaving the military in 2013, Aday pursued a pharmacy technician license and worked in various settings, from a veterinary pharmacy in Oregon to a hospital in Hawaii. But the dream of becoming a pharmacist never left, ultimately leading her to WSU, where she now attends the Yakima extension of the College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences.

For Aday, the decision to go back to school as a veteran and a parent wasn't easy. With a ten-year-old daughter and a husband who still works in Hawaii, she has had to balance school, parenting, and the financial realities of higher education.

"I had no school debt until pharmacy school, and that's where scholarships have been a lifesaver," Aday said.

After pharmacy school, Aday hopes to specialize in oncology, driven in part by personal experience. Her mother has been diagnosed with lymphoma.

For alumni and donors, Aday has a heartfelt message: "When people donate, it makes me want to give back when I can. The support I've received has made all the difference. I grew up in a family that struggled, and I just want to be able to give my daughter and parents the stability they deserve. That's why scholarships mean so much-they allow people like me to pursue our dreams."

To learn more about scholarship endowments at the college, please contact Director of Development and Alumni Relations Kelly Sylvester ([email protected]).

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