PharmCamp veteran wins national service award

Yuma High School senior Ariane Guthrie is a happy camper in more ways than one.

For the past three years she participated in the Yuma PharmCamp and that made her happy. But these days she’s smiling because she recently was honored with a President’s Volunteer Service Award.

The award was presented to her by the Prudential Spirit of Community Awards program on behalf of President Barack Obama. It recognizes youth for personal initiative, creativity, effort, impact and personal growth.

Guthrie was lauded for her volunteer work at Yuma Regional Medical Center and for her contributions to PharmCamp. In 2009 she was a PharmCamper and in 2010 and 2011 she served as a camp junior counselor.

Guthrie is planning to attend the University of Arizona in the upcoming fall semester and major in biochemistry. She is interested in becoming a pharmacist. Her initial goal of working in retail pharmacy has changed since her volunteer service at the medical center.

“I learned that the pharmacists in the hospital actually get to work with patients and I think that’s pretty cool,” she says.

Guthrie has cultivated the skills she’ll need to successfully navigate through a college career.  Already she balances a busy schedule of dance, school clubs and community service with no negative impact on her academic work.

Her story was published March 13 in the Yuma Sun.