Editor's note: This story first appeared in the fall 2019 issue of the Concordian, the official magazine of Concordia University Wisconsin.
Following her graduation from Concordia University Wisconsin this past May, Iowa native Hiwot Abebe began a fellowship at Eli Lilly and Company, one of the leading pharmaceutical companies in the world. Abebe is the first at CUW to match to a postgraduate fellowship program, a highly competitive process. Furthermore, she’ll be the first fellow in Eli Lilly’s Clinical Information and Process Automation (CIPA) group. In order to land the opportunity, Abebe participated in a rigorous interview process this past December.
Related: New heights—Stacy Hoeft
The CIPA fellowship entwines Abebe’s interest in informatics and technology, giving her the opportunity to learn and grow from the internationally recognized Indianapolis-based company.
During her time at Concordia, Abebe was also the first student from CUW to be selected to complete an Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience (APPE) rotation at Bristol-Myers Squibb. The global biopharma company, with facilities in New Jersey, offers a limited number of APPE experiences each semester in areas including medical, commercial, and regulatory research.
A desire to be close to family fed into Abebe’s decision to only apply to pharmacy schools in Wisconsin. At the time of her application, that meant either the University of Wisconsin–Madison or Concordia. While she was admitted to both, Abebe ultimately landed on Concordia for its personalized approach.
Related: Mission minded—Darrel Bergelin
“When I interviewed at Concordia, I felt like the sentiment was ‘What can we do for you?’ instead of the other way around, and so I figured if I’m going to go somewhere for four years, I might as well enjoy it.”
“I’m so glad I chose Concordia,” Abebe continued. “I honestly feel like my professors care about me. It’s definitely a more human type of educational experience that Concordia offers.”
Learn more about Concordia’s School of Pharmacy by visiting cuw.edu/pharmacy.
The fall 2019 Concordian hit mailboxes the end of September. View a PDF version of the magazine here. If you are not on our mailing list, but are interested in receiving a free copy, call 262-243-4333.
— This story is written by Kali Thiel, director of university communications for Concordia University Wisconsin and Ann Arbor. She may be reached at kali.thiel@cuw.edu or 262-243-2149.
If this story has inspired you, why not explore how you can help further Concordia's mission through giving.