Emma Mayes

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Quinten White

Age: 19 | Hometown: Springfield, Missouri
High School: Cabot High School
Higher Education: Arkansas State University-Beebe
Working toward: Becoming a Nuclear Pharmacist

As a junior in high school, Quinten decided to pour his love for the sciences into the aspiration of becoming a nuclear pharmacist. His desire to be a difference-maker propelled him through college classes and earned him two scholarships: the Academic Achievement Scholarship by ASU-Beebe, and the Arkansas Pell Grant.

Quinten looks forward to the intentional background role nuclear pharmacy provides, something that when done right, is felt strongly in the lives of patients. The hope is to help lead the charge on cancer treatments and one day assist in laboratory research. 

“I’ve known too many families affected by this disease and I need to see it eradicated within my lifetime,” he said.

In preparation for his future role, Quinten completed his outpatient rotation at ARcare in Cabot and an outpatient rotation at Baptist Hospital in Little Rock, the latter of which landed him a full-time position as an IV-room technician, compounding non-hazardous medication for the hospital and occasionally compounding chemotherapy for their outpatient infusion center.

For students, Quinten advises to inform yourself as much about medical and college classes in high school as possible, to have pre-attained knowledge. Also, going into your studies expecting an impressive amount of memorization will set you up for success (as will flashcards and Quizlet). 

The plan for Quinten is to use his current degree as a prerequisite for pharmacy school, and then in 2029, graduate from UAMS and complete his nuclear pharmacy certificate.

“My biggest star in the night sky is being able to see those patients ring the bell once they’re cancer-free,” he said. “I’m jittery at the thought of anyone else reading this and wanting to follow suit.”

What You Need to Know

Advantages
The advantages of a two-year degree versus a four-year are pretty obvious: it takes two years less time, it costs two-years less in tuition and college-related expenses, and you'll be working in the real world two years sooner. Not to mention, many of the jobs requiring an associate degree are in major demand, meaning you'll have an easy job search, great job security and a big salary.

Cost
The average annual cost of in-state tuition at an Arkansas community college is $3,390, according to educationdata.org. Don't forget that these two-year schools offer a lot of financial aid and scholarship options, including some specific to your career path.

Admissions Requirements
Associate degree programs typically require a high school diploma or equivalent. Colleges may also expect students to have a specific minimum GPA and to complete their state’s pre-college curriculum, which often includes English, math and science courses.

Housing
Most two-year colleges do not offer on-campus living, so you might want to consider saving your money by living at home.

Source: educationdata.org