Laurie Apelian Phillips, TCS class of 2003, graduated from the Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy at Rutgers University in 2009, and since then has worked as a pharmacist at St. Barnabas Medical Center. She currently works there part time while her primary role today is as a mom taking care of her two children. Laurie married Brian Phillips, ’03, whom she met in high school at TCS! Laurie and Brian are not only alumni, but also incredibly supportive TCS parents. Their son is currently a kindergartner at TCS and Brian is newly elected Board member.
TCS high school students had the opportunity to hear Laurie share about her pharmacy career this past February when she spoke at our Alumni Career Day. Working at a large teaching hospital, Laurie gets to see things from the perspective of many specialized areas of medicine. St. Barnabas has a nationally renowned renal transplant program, is a designated burn center for the state of New Jersey, has cardiology, neurology, pediatrics and oncology services, and it also has a top-notch NICU. Laurie says, “I love the fact that I get to see medicine being practiced on so many different fields. I also love the team aspect of my job. I get to work with a wonderful group of other pharmacists from whom I learn so much every day.”
Learn more about Laurie’s experience from both an alumna and mom perspective.
What do you love most about TCS?
What I love the most about TCS is the staff and the teachers. They make Timothy a unique and special place. They truly love and care about the students and pour out their hearts and souls into what they do, they also set an example of respect and love through their interactions with the students and with each other.
What is one word that best describes the school? Why?
Family … because the members of a family care deeply about each other, are committed to one another, serve one another, and form deep bonds with each other over a lifetime. Being a student at Timothy, you truly feel like you belong to a family, both in the way you relate to the teachers and also in the way you relate to fellow students.
Describe one of your favorite memories of TCS.
It’s hard to pick just one, but my favorite memory probably has to be Spirit Week and Riot night. I loved seeing our teachers really get into the spirit of the week and I loved how our class always came together to work on things like the class cheer and class banner.
From your own experience, why do you believe it was important for you to attend TCS?
I think it was important for me to attend TCS because I learned not to be afraid of being counter-cultural, or to question what the world says is important. I also learned how to weigh everything the world presents to me against what the Bible says and examine it for whether it is truthful and wise according to God’s word or not. I also know it is where I was meant to go to school because I met my husband there!!
How are faith and learning integrated at TCS?
Faith is a part of every aspect of learning at TCS, but I think it was especially impactful to know that my teachers were praying for me. I also loved being taught science from a godly perspective because it gave me such an admiration for the amazing world God has created.
In what ways did TCS prepare you for college and beyond?
I think Timothy prepared me for college and the world beyond in two important ways. One was to equip me with the knowledge of God’s truth so that I had the ability to question what the world presented as normal and expected. The second was to teach me to have love and compassion for all those around me, whether it be a professor, a fellow college classmate or a difficult coworker. I learned at Timothy to view all people as precious creations of God whom I can serve and love through my everyday interactions and hopefully point them to Christ.
What would you tell a friend to encourage them to send their child to TCS?
Nowhere else will your child be as loved, valued, and cared for as at Timothy. At Timothy, you are not just a nameless face in the crowd, you are a unique, special creation of God whose talents and abilities are acknowledged and given the opportunity to shine. You are not just taught academics but are also taught important values in life such as kindness, empathy, and selflessness. The incredible diversity at Timothy is unparalleled. There are so many nations, languages, ethnic backgrounds, and colors represented at Timothy and these students, families, and teachers all come together to worship and learn about the same amazing God. It demonstrates in a practical and beautiful way about how our God is a God to all people, at all times, in all situations.
