2026 Inspiring Graduate: Rebecca Merzke, UNM College of Pharmacy

"It was terrifying."

Those are the words Rebecca Merzke used to describe going back to school.

"I was going from making a six-figure salary to selling my house and moving in with my in-laws," said Merzke, a soon-to-be graduate of The University of New Mexico College of Pharmacy.

She was chosen as this year's "Inspiring Graduate" for the College, in recognition of Merzke's years of dedication to her education.

She said she's what society calls a "non-traditional student."

"I moved up through management and really enjoyed what I was doing, because I got to work with customers," Merzke said. "I got to help them build their houses, see people start from the beginning and see their success."

When she began her undergraduate journey eight years ago, at 33, she was older than most students in her class. She had a child and family to support. And she was coming off a near 16-year career with The Home Depot.

But she said not having a college degree was holding her back from moving up the corporate ladder. Merzke just had her first child and was working 16 hours a day, six days a week. To make matters more difficult, her manager at the time did not approve of her plan to take classes part-time, even on evenings and days off.

Which is where the "terrifying" decision came in. She put in her notice at work and fully committed to attending UNM for an undergraduate degree in business.

She still needed a way to continue supporting her family while in school. With new connections and help from some fellow students, she began working as a pharmacy technician.

That was where the seeds of a new career path were planted.

"The pharmacists mentioned I should apply for pharmacy school, and I looked at them like they were speaking a foreign language to me," Merzke said. "I held doctors and pharmacists on this pedestal of the top of the top, and I didn't see myself in that capacity."

Pushing past a nagging sense of imposter syndrome, and with warm encouragement from her new pharmacy family, Merzke applied to the UNM College of Pharmacy.

"I said, 'Okay, I'll apply one time, and if I get in, I get in, and if I don't, I'm going to continue to get my business degree.'"

Merzke was accepted into the program on her first try.

"I was shocked," she said. "It was a happy shock, and I cried at that point. I'd had my second kid, and I just remember looking at my children thinking, 'I'm doing this for you. I want you to see that if I can do hard things, you could do hard things'."

Krystal Ward, Ph.D., associate dean for Student Affairs and Co-Curriculum at the College said she has worked with Merzke since her time as a pre-pharmacy student.

"Rebecca started as part of our Early Assurance Program," Ward said. "From the very first time I met her, I saw her passion for pharmacy and her readiness to overcome barriers. She impressed me with her tenacity and willingness to take on challenges. I have truly enjoyed being a part of her journey, growing as a leader and taking on multiple roles. While I am excited to see what's ahead for Rebecca, she will be missed for her welcoming attitude and the support she offered to everyone around her."

Merzke said it was in the UNM College of Pharmacy where she gradually started to feel less like an imposter.

"It felt like I belonged to a community, and it felt like I was on the right track to be able to say this is the profession that I need to do," she said.

In 2021, Merzke earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences, all while continuing to grow her family. And she didn't stop there.

"I had my third child one month into my pharmacy school career," Merzke said. "I remember people telling me to take a year off, and I remember saying, 'Babies are easy. This is my third kid. I know how to do babies. I don't know how to do pharmacy school.'"

Again, she persevered and is now graduating with a Doctor of Pharmacy degree. She also recently matched with her first-choice residency program at The University of Wisconsin, where she was accepted into a two-year health systems administration pharmacy leadership residency where she will complete a master's degree and a teaching certificate.

Merzke plans on continuing her advocacy for non-traditional students at the national level as well. She has advice for anyone else who may be following an unconventional path, working long hours while trying to earn a degree, having other responsibilities outside the classroom, or not having adequate support:

"There are always going to be people who doubt you," Merzke said. "There are always going to people who don't see the potential in you, or who are going to say you don't deserve to be here, and it is up to you to make sure that you silence those voices and surround yourself with people who will support you."