CU Anschutz Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences is in pursuit of excellence. So, when choosing students to feature for the annual graduation profiles, the call went out across the School, seeking graduating Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) students who reflect the passion for impact that characterizes the Class of 2026.
The names came in. Students who had overcome adversity, students who moved from different countries, who kept working even though their life was difficult, students who volunteered their time to help others, who excelled in leadership, who live what it means to improve lives. The list was long. The four that rose to the top are not only pursuing excellence, but they are also encouraging others to do so as well.
A nontraditional path, a bold leap forward
Moriah Hart graduates this spring and will begin a post-graduate-year-1 (PGY1) residency at Duke University this fall.
“Stepping into my PGY1 at Duke University Hospital means training at one of the most comprehensive academic medical centers in the country,” Hart said. “As a 1,048-bed flagship of the Duke University Health System, it offers a uniquely integrated network of care that extends well beyond a single hospital, giving residents exposure across the full continuum of patient care.”
Long before Hart was an incoming PGY1, she set her sights on pharmacy school and took a non-traditional route. To be accepted into the PharmD program at CU Pharmacy, students do not have to have a completed bachelor’s degree. Prospects meeting the prerequisite requirements can enroll in the Doctor of Pharmacy program and receive a Bachelor of Medical Science degree after their second year. Hart did just that.
“I moved to Colorado when I was fifteen,” she said. “I don’t come from an academic background, neither my family nor myself, and even when I started doing undergrad and taking my prerequisites, my advisor at the time knew nothing about pharmacy.”
Determined to be a pharmacist, Hart applied to CU Anschutz Pharmacy and was accepted. “I had the support I needed,” she said. “Everything changed.”
She juggled school, family life, a job, and even a new baby during her PharmD journey.
“My mentor told me to set my sights high. She basically said, ‘the world is your oyster,’ and encouraged me to take every opportunity,” Hart said. Because of that encouragement, Hart applied to the residency at Duke.
“I’m so glad that she pushed me out of my comfort zone, because I never would have seen these opportunities,” she said.
During her time at CU, Hart had an internship under Andrea Sikora, PharmD, a professor at the CU School of Medicine in Bioinformatics. Bioinformatics blends computer science, statistics, and biology to process and interpret complex data like DNA sequences and protein structures. By turning large datasets into meaningful insights, it helps power discoveries in medicine, agriculture, and molecular biology. It was Dr. Sikora who encouraged her to widen her horizons, and now Hart is passing along the message.
“If you want it, go for it,” Hart says. “If you want something, don’t be afraid to do it.”
From Bermuda to the bedside, and back again
If Jay-Quan (Jay) Dill was ever afraid to go for it, he didn’t let it show. Growing up in Bermuda, Dill is approximately 2,300 miles from home when he is on the CU Anschutz Campus. He hopes to return home one day, but not before his own PGY1 at Rhode Island Hospital Brown University Health.
“I was absolutely ecstatic when I learned that I matched at Rhode Island Hospital (Brown University Health),” Dill said. “It was one of the very first programs I explored during the residency process, and I immediately felt a strong connection to the program’s culture and training opportunities. I reached out to the residency program director early on and connected with a few residents during virtual open houses. Having admired the program throughout the application process, matching there felt incredibly rewarding and affirming.”
Dill knew he wanted a career in healthcare when he started his undergraduate degree at Nova Southeastern University in Florida. His bachelor’s degree is in medicinal chemistry, and he is “fascinated by how medications work within the body and how they can help individuals manage complex disease states and improve their quality of life.”
His goal is to be a clinical pharmacist, and he says the University of Colorado has been instrumental in shaping his journey.
““Through everything I’ve been involved in,” he said, “clinically, academically, and in leadership roles, I’ve been able to build my knowledge, strengthen my communication, and grow my confidence. And I’m still working every day to become the best pharmacist I can be.”
Dill expects his residency to further develop his skills through structured training and diverse patient care experiences across a wide range of clinical rotations.
“Additionally, the program’s emphasis on mentorship, resident autonomy, and exposure to complex patient populations will help prepare me to confidently practice across multiple specialties when I return home,” he said. “Being geographically closer to Bermuda and my family also made the transition feel both personally and professionally meaningful”
For Dill, home is more than a place; it’s a calling. His goal to return is driven by Bermuda’s growing health challenges and aging population. As a clinical pharmacist with extensive residency training, he will be well positioned to help tackle what Bermuda’s Minister of Health has called “a critical issue impacting the health and well-being of our people.”
At the center of that challenge is the rising burden of non-communicable diseases—heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and respiratory illnesses—which account for most deaths and healthcare costs in Bermuda. Many of these conditions are preventable by addressing key risk factors, and pharmacists like Dill can play a vital role in driving that change.
His advice for younger students is to “build relationships and stay curious. Ask questions, seek feedback, and connect with mentors and preceptors. Programs are looking for motivated learners who are collaborative, professional, and passionate about patient care.”
Thriving in a fast-paced environment
Nicole DeLeon is passionate about patient care. She loves to make other people laugh. She sees people as they are, and she is determined to come through for others. Before she came to pharmacy school, she was an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) at a hospital and saw how teamwork creates a place where people thrive.
“I don’t mind helping nurses' clean patients; I don’t mind moving someone back to their room. At the end of the day, it's an honor to serve patients and be in that role, and I do that as best as I can,” she said.
Inspired by an ER pharmacist in her EMT role, DeLeon applied to pharmacy school, and CU Anschutz Pharmacy was her number one choice.
“Being from Colorado, Anschutz is a household name, and there is a lot of prestige, and I wanted to be part of that and live up to the reputation,” she said. DeLeon describes herself as a true Coloradan. She loves to snowboard; she loves to be outside. The CU Anschutz campus right in the heart of Colorado, with four accessible hospitals, an interprofessional curriculum, and an experiential education, was a perfect fit for her.
During her academic rotation with Professor Jennifer Trujillo, PharmD, DeLeon collaborated on a research project on artificial intelligence’s role in higher education. The team used various AI tools to compare grading, rubrics, and class outlines created by course directors. Their findings showed that AI can be used as a compliment to education, but not as the main driver.
The project was presented at the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) midyear meeting in 2025. The experience widened her horizons and added to her already impressive resume, making her competitive for residency applications. DeLeon applied to 12 residencies, was invited to interview at 11, and got her top choice at UC Health University of Colorado Hospital in acute care.
“This rotation is being a pharmacist in a hospital,” she said. “It’s going to be rigorous, but they are there to guide me through, and I am going to have a good cohort. I am so excited to be part of it ... University of Colorado has done so much for me, health wise, education wise, how amazing is it that now I can be a part of that? Now I can serve them.”
After this year, DeLeon plans to apply for a PGY2 in emergency medicine.
“I love ER pharmacy,” she said. “I’ve been interested in it since I was an EMT, and now I can learn more about hospital pharmacy, and eventually follow that path.”
From first-year ambition to industry fellowship
Will Roach knew his path was in industry pharmacy from the moment he attended the CU Anschutz student organization fair the fall of his first year of pharmacy school.
“I’m a strategic goal-setter,” he said. “I went to the Industry Pharmacists Organization [IPhO] table, and at the first meeting I learned about all the different ways pharmacists are involved within the pharmaceutical industry. I set the goal to earn a fellowship from almost day one.”
Roach explained that to be competitive, he knew he needed to get involved, get good grades, and experience all CU had to offer. “I worked at Safeway throughout my time at CU, which was incredibly rewarding,” he said. “I gained experience developing patients’ health literacy, while reinforcing what I learned in class. Additionally, I completed research when on campus and ultimately, had the privilege to present three different posters at the ASHP midyear conference last fall."
I was also President of our IPhO chapter, which was a major factor in developing my leadership and networking skills. It was an honor to be an advocate for the industry pharmacy path while at CU.”
In line with his strategy, Roach was offered an industry fellowship before his final semester. “My fellowship is with AbbVie through the University of Southern California. I will be based out of their office in Illinois,” Roach said. “I will be flying to California here and there throughout my fellowship. The goal is to be retained by AbbVie and be an advocate for patients globally.”
AbbVie is a global, research-based biopharmaceutical company that focuses on developing advanced therapies in immunology, oncology, neuroscience, and aesthetics. The prestigious Pharmaceutical Industry Fellowship program is designed to prepare postdoctoral scholars for careers in the biopharmaceutical industry. Originally from the Midwest, Roach is excited to be closer to friends and family, although Colorado is always only a plane ride away. When he decided to come to CU Anschutz, it was a big choice, but it was worth it.
“I think it's important to seek experiences that take you out of your comfort zone,” he said. “It's through those experiences that you grow, and I’m glad I stepped out of my comfort zone to attend CU.”
Different paths. One purpose.
New Drs. Cargile, Dill, DeLeon, and Roach didn’t just achieve excellence; they modeled it. Now, as they begin residencies and fellowships across the country, they carry forward a shared commitment to growth, teamwork, and patient care.
At CU Pharmacy, excellence is built together—and they’re just getting started.
