Hero Scholar: Elvia Lomeli
A transformative medical internship in Panama opened Elvia Lomeli's eyes to both her privilege and her purpose, setting her on the path to becoming a 2025 Hero Scholar at Roseman University's College of Pharmacy. What began as a clinical experience in underserved communities became a defining moment that shaped her commitment to healthcare equity.
During ten life-changing days in Bocas del Toro, Panama, Elvia worked alongside doctors and a pharmacist to provide free clinical treatment and medication to residents of five remote islands served by just one hospital. She witnessed families relying on rainwater for daily needs, walking barefoot to preserve their only pair of “good shoes,” and struggling with limited healthcare access. Working directly with medication dispensing and patient education in Spanish, Elvia discovered her calling to serve the Latin/Hispanic community through pharmacy.
As a native Spanish speaker with a bachelor’s degree in microbiology from UNLV, Elvia brings both linguistic skills and scientific knowledge to her healthcare mission. Her professional growth has been remarkable, starting as a nervous first-time employee at Tropicana Animal Hospital, she quickly became a senior team member responsible for training new workers. Her leadership philosophy centers on ensuring others never feel lost like she once did, always encouraging questions and providing the guidance she wished she had received.
Elvia’s diverse experience includes advocacy work with the American Heart Association on policies affecting Nevada citizens’ health and performance coaching at Brain Balance Center. Now pursuing pharmacy at Roseman University’s Henderson campus, she is dedicated to prescribing hope and healing to underserved communities. The Hero Scholarship, funded by Dimopoulos Law, will support her mission to ensure all patients, especially within the Latino community, have access to the medications they need for healthy, long lives.