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Inside the Life of Your Every Day Scientist:

The Pharmacy Technician

Jazmine C. Ibarra

High Tech High International

12th Grade Environmental Science

Geneva Clark

Sept. 16, 2020

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Inside the Life of Your Every Day Scientist:

The Pharmacy Technician

Photograph made using Photopea. https://www.photopea.com

My mom, Joan Ibarra, is a Pharmacy Technician. She was just eleven years when she and

her family immigrated from Zambales, Philippines to the United States hoping for a better life.

Before they came to America, my mom already knew English due to private school, so she didn’t

have too much trouble transitioning. As a young girl, she focused on her studies and started
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babysitting at the age of twelve. She couldn’t ask her parents for help as they were always

working. Her parents both worked hard, from early in the morning to late at night. In fact, her

parents had two or more jobs. Her family didn’t have a lot of money when they came to

America, so they lived with my mom’s aunt until they could support themselves.

For junior high she attended Granger Middle School in National City. My mom had to

walk from her aunt’s house to school every day, rain or shine. She said one time she had to walk

home when there was hail, and that was after she had returned from sixth grade camp with her

luggage. She enjoyed all subjects, but favored English and History. She advanced to Sweetwater

High School. After she graduated from Sweetwater High School, she attended San Diego State

for two years, but lost interest in nursing. She needed a change of career. She went on to the

United Education Institute to receive her certification as a Pharmacy Technician.

She did good in school, and because of this so many different opportunities were hers for

the taking. If she found interest in something, as long as she put in the work, she could make it.

My mom has always told me that “Everything requires hard work” and “if you can dream it, you

can do it” (J. Ibarra, personal communications, 15 Sept. 2020). Through her education, she made

friends with people who helped her reconnect with her Filipinio roots. Her elementary school

lacked ethnic diversity, but later in junior high, all of that changed. She found that her new

school “was very rich in culture” (J. Ibarra, personal communications, 15 Sept. 2020), the

majority being either Mexican or Filipino. Due to the rich Filipino culture at school, she met a

couple of people who would later become her lifelong friends.

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In the words of my mother, “The work of a pharmacy technician is important for the

treatment and healing of ill patients” (J. Ibarra, personal communications, 15 Sept. 2020).

Pharmacy technicians make a difference in more than just the scientific community in terms of

making medication, giving it, and the preservation of those medications. They also make

differences in the lives of other people. Every day is different in terms of receiving and giving

different medications. My mom does not give medication to customers, but she does mix and

compound the medications needed for those patients. Whereas nurses administer the medication

to the patients, my mom and other fellow pharmacy techs do the behind the scenes work for that

medication. Their behind the scenes work provides the treatment that is necessary for many, and

that is what makes pharmacy technicians so valuable.

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References

Choe, J. (2019) Green Tea Latte. Oh, How Civilized. https://www.ohhowcivilized.com

[Photograph of a watering can] (n.d.). https://www.menards.com

[Photograph of orchid flowers] (n.d.). https://www.pikist.com

[Photograph of the Filipino flag] (n.d.). https://www.gettyimages.com

[Photograph of the UCSD Medical Center logo] (n.d.). https://www.daisymiracle.com

[Photograph of Canon EOS R camera] (n.d.). https://www.bhphotovideo.com

[Photograph of pill bottles] (n.d.). https://www.thefix.com

[Photograph of airplane] (n.d.). https://www.aircraftcompare.com

[Photograph of IV and syringe] (n.d.). ​https://www.kindpng.com

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​FACES OF CHANGE: MINI-PROJECT RUBRIC

TOTAL SCORE: __​24​__/24PTS + 3 Extra Credit*

Category Below Standard​ 1 Approaching Standard Met Standard​ 3

2

Paper Length Less than 50 words. 50-99 words. 100 words or more​.
Written Description

Main Idea 1 Misidentifies the Does not Identify the Identifies the
Background person/group that person/group that person/group that
represents that represents that represents that
culture/advocacy of culture/advocacy of culture/advocacy of
interest. interest. interest.

Main Idea 2 Describes no Describes at least 1 Describes at ​least 2

Challenges/Hardships challenges/hardship Challenge/hardship that
that was faced by that was faced by that
individual/group during individual/group during
their lifetime. their lifetime. Can be
general or related to
their scientific
work/advocacy.
challenges/hardships
that were faced by that
individual/group during
their lifetime. Can be
general or related to
their scientific
work/advocacy.

Main Idea 3 Describes no Describes at least 1 Describes at​ least 2

Strengths/Opportunities advantages this advantage this
person/group had person/group had
during their lifetime. during their lifetime.
Can be general or
related to their scientific
work/advocacy.
advantages/ strengths/
oppprtunities this
individual/group had
during their lifetime.
Can be general or
related to their scientific
work/advocacy.

Main Idea 4 Provides no description Describes at least one Describes ​at least 1
Contributions of the discovery or discovery or discovery or
contribution that was contribution that was contribution that was
made by this made by this made by this
individual/group in the individual/group in the individual/group in the
field of science or field of science or field of science or
environmental environmental environmental
advocacy. advocacy, but leaves advocacy, ​AND​ ​why it
out why it matters matters

Main Idea 5 Describes at least one

Fun/Unique Fact unique or fun fact about
(Optional) the person or group of
interest.

Portrait No portrait provided. Provides a portrait that Provides a thoughtful,

Visual Description does not fully and quality
represent/encompass representation of the
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the person/group of individual/group of

interest. interest.

APA Guidelines 4 or less bullets met 5-7bullets met All 8 bullets met