Mangum: FAMU’s Crestview campus fulfilling mission to help Northwest Florida’s families

FAMU Crestview pharmacy students during a community service project

In a recent op-ed published by the Pensacola News Journal, FAMU President Elmira Mangum touted how the university’s Crestview campus is making a difference in Northwest Florida.

The opinion piece appeared shortly after the Crestview Bulletin highlighted a community service project led by students at the FAMU pharmacy school’s Crestview center.

From the FAMU president’s op-ed:

On Friday, Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU) will celebrate its 127th anniversary. This marks an important time in the university’s history. We are celebrating more than a century of providing affordable access to education for Floridians, holding true to our founding mission as an 1890 land-grant institution dedicated to the advancement of knowledge, resolution of complex issues, and the empowerment of citizens and communities.

Just over two years ago, FAMU expanded its mission into the Pensacola area after opening the FAMU College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences Crestview Instructional Center. Currently, the center provides an opportunity for more than 70 future pharmacists, many of whom are from Escambia County and low-wealth families. Students receive training from FAMU’s nationally renowned faculty, as well as an opportunity to translate the knowledge they gain into careers that focus on community service.

Each year, students, under the guidance of their professors at the Crestview Center, contribute nearly 4,000 volunteer hours to Pensacola residents, and those in surrounding areas, through various health care outreach programs. This includes, providing free diabetes, blood pressure, and cholesterol screenings, in addition to providing prescription consultation and education services. In fact, we’re in the process of planning a community-wide health fair for Escambia County residents in October.

The work of FAMU students and professors in the Pensacola area is just one example of the valuable role FAMU plays in communities across the state.

While many of our students come from low-wealth families, they leave our campuses with not only a passion for serving others, but with degrees that allow them to provide for their families and build a financial foundation. In fact, according to The College Database, FAMU is one of the top institutions for providing a high-quality education at an affordable price in Florida and our pharmacy graduates make nearly $100,000 a year.

Read the full op-ed here.