CEDARVILLE — CVS Health Foundation has awarded Cedarville University’s School of Pharmacy a $15,000 grant for professional pharmacy scholarships.

The scholarship will be applied during the 2017-2018 academic year.

To qualify for this scholarship, students must be bilingual and work with underserved patients within the next year. A committee is working out the details of the scholarship, including how many students may receive the scholarship.

“The goal of this scholarship is to build a workforce that can speak multiple languages so they can work with the increasingly diverse, multilingual America,” said Aleda Chen, assistant dean and assistant professor of pharmacy practice, who played an active role in acquiring the grant.

Not only did the school of pharmacy apply for this grant to make graduate school more affordable for students, but also because the scholarship enhances its mission.

“Our mission is to develop pharmacists who meet the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of patients through servant leadership,” Chen said. “And part of that mission involves serving the underserved with a global focus, which is exactly what this scholarship encourages.”

Chen also shared that many students in the professional pharmacy program meet the requirements due to the diversity of students on campus from different countries.