Hero Scholar: Valerie Tran

Valerie has passionately devoted six years to volunteering at the Thanksgiving Super Feast at the George R. Brown Convention Center. Additionally, she has been actively engaged with the Houston Rodeo Committee for four years, raising funds for scholarships and educational programs benefiting Texas youth. Her dedication to healthcare is evident from her participation in two missions in Laredo, TX, where she assisted dentists in providing care to underserved communities. She also spent three months volunteering at a hospital and pharmacy.

At University of Houston, Valerie was involved with the Center for Community Engagement and Service-Learning, where she contributed to initiatives such as creating care packages for immigrants and greeting cards for Interfaith Ministries of Greater Houston. She also volunteered at Houston’s Moody Park, helping maintain community facilities for youth, and participated in CYCLE, assembling bicycles for students to support their academic success.

Valerie’s leadership journey began at a dental office, where she advanced to a managerial role, honing her skills in task organization, team management, and communication. She further developed her leadership abilities by mentoring students in a project researching drug use among high schoolers, guiding them in data collection, analysis, and presentation.

These experiences have equipped Valerie with valuable leadership skills that she is eager to apply in her pharmacy career. Her Hero Scholarship is supported by REQ.