ALPBA Scholarship Recipient Faith Leverette

Mar 20, 2024

By Cindy Baugher

“I believe that this is a practical world and that I can count only on what I earn. Therefore, I believe in work, hard work.” This, the first stanza of the Auburn University creed, is Alabama PBF Scholarship winner Faith Leverette’s favorite quote. Written by George Petrie in 1943, this approach to life has “never let me down,” says Faith, “I have always been able to accomplish my goals by putting in the work.” This is abundantly clear when considering her resume. When she graduated from Auburn High School in 2019, she had been a member of National Honor Society, National Technical Honor Society, Spanish Honor Society, Engineering Club, Mu Alpha Theta (Math Honor Society), a church volunteer, and a summer employee in her dad’s business. In her undergraduate studies she’s been a member of American Association of Psychiatric Pharmacists, the Alabama Pharmacist’s Association, Auburn University Student Society of Health System Pharmacy, Kappa Psi Pharmaceutical Fraternity, Equal Access Auburn, and Sigma Sigma Sigma Panhellenic Sorority. She’s currently on track to graduate with Summa Cum Laude honors in December of 2023. And now, in her second year of pharmacy school she’s been chosen as President-Elect of Auburn University’s chapter of the American Association of Psychiatric Pharmacists, selected as Kappa Psi’s Academic Enrichment Chair due to her academic success, and she volunteers with on-campus wellness screening events, and works at a local Walmart Pharmacy to help offset her student loan debt for pharmacy school. Without a doubt, Faith has “put in the work” and earned many accolades for her efforts along the way.

Faith’s official picture in her white coat to mark her white coat ceremony at Auburn

Faith was eligible for the PBF scholarship thanks to her father’s membership in the Alabama PBA. Her father, Chad Leverette, has worked in several capacities over his 25-year career. He began as a Student Public Safety Specialist at Auburn Police Department while also working on a business administration degree as he started up his own carpet and upholstery cleaning business. For the first 18 years of his law enforcement career, he worked at several different police departments in Lee and Tallapoosa County. He was involved in Traffic Homicide Investigation and the narcotics K-9 unit. He then switched to working at the Alabama Bureau of Pardons and Paroles office in Lee County as a Parole Officer. He now manages felons on probation and makes sure that “only the felons that are following the law and doing what the court has ordered them to do stay out of prison.” Faith goes on to say, “I’ve always looked up to my dad and thought of him as bigger and stronger than life itself. Growing up, and to this day, he has always been my protector. He has instilled in me a sense of respect for the law and authority of all kinds, as well as law enforcement. One of the many reasons why I chose my career path was because growing up around him I saw how many lives my dad got to influence, and I wanted to influence and improve people’s lives just like he did for all these years.” 

As an only child, Faith is very close with both her parents, and calls her mom, “one of the hardest working, headstrong, selfless, and determined women I have ever met. She is the best mother that I could’ve asked for.” Holly Leverette, Faith’s mother, worked her way all the way up from an insurance consultant to becoming the County Administrator of Lee County. Faith watched her mom “put in the work” on earning a master's degree in public administration all while taking care of Faith and working full time. She goes on to say that her mother, “is the one that most showed me that you can achieve anything you want through hard work and determination. She also taught me to do what’s needed for family. When a family member calls and needs help, you answer and if you are in a place to help, you help. She gave up so many opportunities and so much time growing up to see me succeed and to make sure that I had a happy childhood, and that is exactly the type of mother that I want to be if I am blessed enough to have children of my own one day.”

Faith Leverette in a Christmas photo with her parents, Chad and Holly Leverette, her fiancé, James MacCarthy, and Oakley

According to Faith, she always feels grateful for any scholarship that she receives, but this scholarship in particular “is exceptionally special to me because it was given to me by the same people that have helped my dad numerous times throughout his career. I am so grateful for what this association has done and will continue to do for me and my family. One thing that I have had to learn through dreaming big on my goals is that big dreams cost big money. Pharmacy school costs roughly $100,000 in total for 4 years, and my undergraduate degree was close to $50,000. I was lucky enough to have parents that could help me financially through undergrad with the help of my academic scholarships, however I have had to take out federal loans for pharmacy school. Every scholarship I receive is less money I am in debt after pharmacy school. I will be forever grateful and indebted to the PBF as an organization for how much help they have given to me, and I am planning to pay this forward once I am able to in the future.”

When Faith manages to find free time, she loves reading books and watching TV and movies with her fiancé or friends. She also enjoys bowling, mini golf, baking cookies, or just grabbing dinner downtown with her sorority sisters or pharmacy school friends.

Those big dreams Faith speaks of for her career involve specializing in psychiatric pharmacy and working with Veteran’s Affairs to help rehabilitate our nation’s hero’s minds. She feels with her interest in psychology as well as pharmacy, that this would be a way to meld the two into a dream career of giving back to people that have sacrificed so much for our country.

With two parents who lead by example behind her, Faith Leverette has indeed taken the Auburn creed regarding hard work and put it into practice in her daily life as she strives to achieve her big dreams.

Faith Leverette as she’s presented with her PBF scholarship award check from Lee County Chapter (ALPBA) President Jessica Daley. Also pictured are her parents Chad and Holly, along with Alabama Staff Representative Gary Cooper.