Supporting scholarships allows students to succeed
When his 26-year-old daughter passed away from Ewing’s sarcoma, USC College of Pharmacy alumnus Raymond Jackson Powers established the Diane Powers Owen Memorial Scholarship.
Powers, who served as a pharmacist’s mate in the U.S. Navy and as a medic in the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II, earned his pharmacy degree in 1949. He opened his first pharmacy in California and later became an executive with E.R. Squibb.
After Diane’s death, it was Raymond’s wish that the scholarship continue to support the financial needs of future pharmacy students.
Powers' son, Marc, says his father took great pride in his alma mater and his profession.
“My father wanted to share what pharmacy had done for him, and he wanted others to have the same opportunities that he had and to be able to honor my sister’s memory,” Marc Powers says. “His words to me were to make sure that this scholarship is sustained.”
Marc, who earned his degree in computer science from USC, attended his first scholarship donor appreciation dinner in September 2023. He met the current recipients of his family’s scholarship: Emily Rudisell, Class of 2025, and Anabelle Clothiaux, Class of 2027.
“It meant so much to be able to meet Mr. Powers and tell him how much the scholarship has meant to me,” Rudisell says. “We were able to learn about him and the history of the scholarship, share our goals and how the scholarship has helped us reach those goals.”
When alumni give back, it serves as a point of motivation. It fuels me to give 110 percent and to aspire to the highest level that I can. Even the smallest amount makes a world of difference.
Accomplishments and connections
Powers now lives near Aiken, South Carolina, where Clothiaux grew up. She discovered in her conversations with Powers that they shared a deeply personal connection.
“My father passed away from an aggressive form of cancer,” Clothiaux says, “and we talked about the impact that had on our lives. It was good to be able to talk with someone who has gone through an experience similar to mine, to know that we are not alone in the toll that cancer has taken on our families. He was able to give me advice on moving forward.”
It wasn’t until after her father’s diagnosis that Clothiaux considered pharmacy as a career.
“Following my dad’s journey through chemotherapy, radiation and trial drugs, I started to look at pharmacy as a way that I might be able to help people,” she says. “There is so much potential in new drugs to fight cancer, and having a little bit of hope means so much.”
Still in her first year of pharmacy studies, Clothiaux is considering a career in oncology, research and drug development.
Rudisell and Clothiaux say that without the scholarship, it would be more difficult to focus on their studies without worrying about financial aspects of paying for their education.
“As pharmacy students, there are many extracurricular activities that we want to take part in, to further our leadership skills, and to enhance our education by attending professional development events,” Rudisell says. “Through Mr. Powers and the generosity of other College of Pharmacy alumni, we are able to seek out these opportunities.”
“When alumni give back, it serves as a point of motivation,” Clothiaux says. “It fuels me to give 110 percent and to aspire to the highest level that I can. Even the smallest amount makes a world of difference.”
Powers says it is important to give students a chance to get through college and life.
“These young women are so accomplished,” he says. “That is what was important to my dad and that is why I continue to support the college.”
Topics: Support the College, Pharm.D. Program, Alumni Programs