Hobbies and interests
Writing
Guitar
Poetry
Reading
Gardening
Spirituality
Self Care
Botany
Psychology
Pharmacy
Reading
Adventure
Fantasy
Literature
Cultural
Folklore
Novels
Spirituality
Self-Help
I read books multiple times per month
Marline Jean-Marie
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FinalistMarline Jean-Marie
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FinalistBio
As second year pharmacy student, I’m working to become a healer. I can acknowledge that healing doesn't always have to consist of pharmaceuticals. I make sure to make myself familiar with everything medicine-related, like health disparities. Whether there’s an event on campus or a video I found discussing these issues, I will take it all in. I feel that when it comes to pursuing a career that involves the well-being of others, you should never take it lightly. Especially when we live in a world where people will become doctors solely for money & then abandon the emotional (humanity) aspect to their jobs. These are people’s lives. No one who just throws pharmaceuticals at a patient & waits for money in return should ever hold the title of a healer. Our world lacks of communication & understanding. Which is why I pursue everything I do: XULA’s chapter of NCNW, being a RA, my Diary of a Mad Black Pearl page, my small business, performing spoken words, & am a sexual assault & mental health advocate. From these I obtained leadership skills, allowed myself to display vulnerability in a world that shames it, & speak for groups of people that are neglected. I plan to utilize this in pursuit of obtaining my PharmD. I want to be able to say that I am well-rounded in recovery (physical, mental, spiritual & emotional). With this education, I hope to one day run my own pharmacy, actively working to dismantle the health disparities & medical inequities & provide more preventive medicine options & lifestyle choices especially within neglected communities.
Education
Xavier University of Louisiana
Doctoral degree program (PhD, MD, JD, etc.)Majors:
- Chemistry
- Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration
Minors:
- Biology, General
Arlington Catholic High School
High SchoolMajors:
- Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration
- Chemistry
Minors:
- Biology, General
Pope John XXIII High School
High SchoolMiscellaneous
Desired degree level:
Doctoral degree program (PhD, MD, JD, etc.)
Graduate schools of interest:
Transfer schools of interest:
Majors of interest:
- Medicinal and Pharmaceutical Chemistry
- Natural Products Chemistry and Pharmacognosy
- Pharmaceutical Sciences
- Pre-Pharmacy Studies
- Pharmacy
Career
Dream career field:
Pharmaceuticals
Dream career goals:
Company Founder, Non-profit Leader, Pharmacist, Pharmaceutical Scientist
Pharmacy Intern
CVS2024 – Present1 yearIntern
STEM NOLA2022 – 20231 yearResident Assistant
Xavier University of Louisiana2022 – 20242 yearsRetail Member/Associate
Panera Bread2020 – 20211 year
Sports
Volleyball
Varsity2018 – 20191 year
Softball
Junior Varsity2017 – 20192 years
Cheerleading
Varsity2017 – 20203 years
Research
N/A
N/A — N/APresent
Arts
N/A
Performance ArtN/A2019 – Present
Public services
Volunteering
Catholic Charities — Volunteer2019 – 2019Volunteering
Build A Bed: A Bed for Every Child — Volunteer2020 – 2020Volunteering
New England Aquarium’s Live Blue Ambassadors — Volunteer/member2019 – 2020
Future Interests
Advocacy
Volunteering
Philanthropy
Entrepreneurship
Student Life Photography Scholarship
Elevate Black Entrepreneurs Scholarship
My journey into entrepreneurship began with understanding what healing really means. As a first-generation Haitian immigrant, I grew up with the knowledge that sacrifice is an integral part of life. My parents left behind everything they knew to give me and my sister the chance at a better future in the United States. The pressures of carrying that responsibility on my shoulders have shaped me and fueled my drive to create something meaningful—not just for myself but also for my community and generations after.
I am currently pursuing a pharmacy degree at Xavier University of Louisiana, with the aspiration to own and operate my own pharmacy one day. However, my vision extends far beyond simply dispensing prescriptions. I want to bridge the gap between alternative medicine and modern pharmaceuticals, offering solutions that are not just effective but also sustainable, holistic, and accessible. I understand that the body and mind need balance to function optimally, and I want to provide my community with tools for self-care that promote overall well-being. This vision is what led me to create Jean-Marie Botanicals, a small but passionate venture aimed at introducing plant-based wellness products, starting with Haitian black castor oil.
The roots of Jean-Marie Botanicals are deeply tied to my heritage and my personal experiences. Growing up, I witnessed my mother using natural remedies to care for herself and our family. Haitian black castor oil, or “lwil maskriti”, is a staple in our home for everything from hair care to treating muscle aches. It is a natural way of caring for ourselves, a practice passed down through generations. As I got older, I realized that I could combine my passion for health with my desire to honor my heritage by offering a line of products that not only support wellness but also promote sustainability.
Jean-Marie Botanicals was born from this blend of tradition and innovation. I believe that self-care is integral to health care, and my mission is to remind people that they are deserving of care, both inside and out. Through this brand, I aim to encourage others—particularly Black communities who have long been underrepresented in the wellness space—to make self-care a priority. We often forget to nurture ourselves in the pursuit of our goals and responsibilities, and I want Jean-Marie Botanicals to be a reminder that taking time for personal care is an essential part of staying healthy and thriving.
The journey of entrepreneurship, however, has not been without its challenges. As a Black woman, the barriers to starting a business are real, and accessing resources or support has been difficult. Venture funding for Black entrepreneurs remains limited, and the lack of representation in the industry means that the challenges faced by people like me are often overlooked. Yet, I remain undeterred. I am driven to create a meaningful impact, not just for my own success, but to help shift the narrative for future generations of entrepreneurs who look like me. This scholarship will allow me to gain the resources, mentorship, and networks I need to continue building Jean-Marie Botanicals and expand it beyond just my own vision.
My short-term goal is to continue refining and growing the brand, increasing awareness about the benefits of plant-based remedies like Haitian black castor oil. I want to provide my community with accessible alternatives to conventional products while also educating them on the importance of self-care. In the long term, I aspire to open my own pharmacy that integrates alternative and modern medicine in a holistic, patient-centered approach. I want to provide a space where people can explore options for their health and wellness, not just as a quick fix, but as a long-term commitment to living well.
Jean-Marie Botanicals is just one step toward a much larger goal: creating a healing space that blends modern science with the healing power of nature. With support, I hope to expand my product line and reach more people who can benefit from the therapeutic power of plant-based remedies. I believe that by focusing on sustainable, natural, and culturally rich wellness practices, I can help fill the gaps in the wellness industry while also contributing to the health and healing of my community.
In conclusion, my journey as an entrepreneur is about more than just building a business; it’s about empowering my community and honoring my heritage. It’s about changing the way we think about self-care and wellness, making it accessible and meaningful for everyone. The Elevate Black Entrepreneurs Scholarship would provide the opportunity to take Jean-Marie Botanicals to the next level, and in turn, help me achieve my broader vision of creating a more inclusive, holistic, and sustainable health and wellness industry.
Dr. Sami Shafiq-Barker Memorial Scholarship
Academic demands, financial insecurity and personal well-being, as a second-year pharmacy student at Xavier University of Louisiana, I face the challenges of balancing these needs. Still, my journey has been shaped by resilience, & I am inspired by Dr. Sami Shafiq-Barker’s commitment to her profession & community. I aim to honor her legacy by supporting future pharmacy students, particularly those from backgrounds like mine.
As a first-generation Haitian immigrant from Boston, MA, I’ve been instilled with values of honoring where you’ve come from, striving for success & looking out for my people. My path to pharmacy school has not been easy. In my first year, I struggled with overwhelming expectations, which led to depression and imposter syndrome. My mental health was so low, it came to the point I fell into thinking I have no future. Thankfully, the support of my family, classmates & mentors helped me overcome these challenges & reinforced the importance of community.
Looking ahead, I aspire to open up my own practice. A place of healing that provides accessible care to all underserved communities, from cultural differences to physical disabilities. I also want to mentor students facing similar struggles, sharing resources & guidance. I currently use my social media page to document my PharmD journey, foster a supportive community, & share scholarships, opportunities, & motivation.
Passionate about helping others, I will continue to move with intention, just as Dr. Shafiq-Barker did. Through perseverance, community, & giving back, I am committed to ensuring her legacy endures.
MedLuxe Representation Matters Scholarship
Time–it catches up with all of us. You never know how much of it you may have. The more you have the better, but one cannot say the same for its sister, Age. With age comes more responsibility, experience and hopefully wisdom, but it also comes with increased susceptibility to disease, fatigue, and overall health deterioration. During my senior year of high school, my maternal grandparents moved out of their old home and into mine. This was temporary until my aunt had her home prepared for them to permanently stay in. My grandmother is a prime example of age equating to health deterioration. She can no longer move around by herself, had reversible dementia, and ultimately struck fear in all of our hearts. During her time with us, I paid attention to everything that came with providing for her. As a first generation immigrant, I’m not new to having to play translator. Before I would step in, I could hear the frustrating tones on both ends of a call trying to handle my grandmother’s medication. One end was filled with disdain, hating that they’re dealing with a “foreign” family and the other upset at the lack of patience from the physician & how language barriers seem to be a difficulty they can’t escape. That image played in my head so much so that it began to affect the image I had for the future. I knew I wanted to pursue pharmacy–to make medicine and distribute it from my own practice, but that memory, as well as others, encouraged me to make sure that when I do build up my practice it’ll prioritize having people everyone can relate to/recognize. I want to work with people who identify with various cultures and speak various languages [including the nonverbal ones]. No one should ever walk into a building, meant to put their health first, and feel afraid to speak because the provider on the other end not only doesn’t look or sound like them, but also doesn’t try to understand them. We need more people who are people, and not just the generic look that is the majority of America. With increased racial diversity in healthcare, there’ll be more personalized healthcare as well as decreased discrimination. So many people of color refuse to go to hospitals because we are very aware of the very real threat of not having someone who looks like us, in said position of power, to advocate for us when the ones already there [in that powerful position] refuse to listen to us directly. Increased diversity will also give more opportunities and encourage the upbringing of safe spaces for people of color in/pursuing medicine. I recall when my mother, a registered nurse, told my sister and I of times when her patients refused to let her touch them, to let her do her job. Racism is a great disease, but it can be eradicated, primarily through initiatives to accept, understand, and accommodate all people. I’ve always been interested in medicine–the creation of it, how it works–but what good is specializing in a field if you can’t truly utilize it in its capacity [which is to heal all]. I have an immense interest in pharmacognosy, particularly, which is the creation of medicine with sources derived from plants. I feel as though there’s more to healing than just heading straight to using pharmaceuticals; healing comes in various forms and I aspire to build a practice that is well-rounded in it all [from preventive medicine to alternative choices to modern].
Manuela Calles Scholarship for Women
@frankadvice National Scholarship Month TikTok Scholarship
@normandiealise National Scholarship Month TikTok Scholarship
@GrowingWithGabby National Scholarship Month TikTok Scholarship
Ms. Catherine Gipson Scholarship
We were the most diverse school in the state; we were all similar in that none of us were similar to one another. Pope John XXIII High School resided in Everett, Massachusetts before it was shut down due to financial issues. So many of us had transferred to Arlington Catholic High School–going from the most diverse school to the least. The moment we stepped foot there we faced: staredowns, microaggressions, and racism like I’ve never seen before. I have always gone to diverse schools, had a diverse friend group, and was just so sheltered to real hate that when I finally experienced it, it hit me hard.
My last two years of high school there were years of revelations. I realized how white the world is, and all the forms of racism that took shape throughout my life. It’s when you’re older that you recognize the big meanings behind all the little things that occurred during your development. I noticed that even within my diverse “shelter” there was hate there too. In middle school, we didn’t pay attention to the real effects behind all the “jokes” we had made at each other. We called it dark humor and gaslit each other. We didn’t feel the severity of the jokes until we were surrounded by people who didn’t look like us, individually or collectively. Minority against minority didn’t feel as serious as majority against minority. Those years of truly experiencing being a minority [an experience I believe my sheltered-self was privileged enough not to endure in my “diverse spaces” where this was not discussed enough about] was enough for me to say I don’t want to do it again. That was one of my reasons to join an HBCU–I have all my life to be a minority and I’m blessed to say I’m attending an institution where I don’t have to be one again before I’m thrown into the world as an adult. My second reason was that I wanted to be surrounded by black excellence, by people who looked like me and would inspire and motivate each other toward their goals. I understand that no matter which HBCU you attend you’ll be a part of an automatic family that’ll look out for you. I just felt that this was something that I (and all black people or poc) need in the world that we live in.
As for what social justice means to me, it’s all about thriving for unity, equity, and equality. I’m aware that with the formers people assume that we can only have one and not the other. But really when you have equity, you bring about equality. When you cater to each individual’s needs, you help them all obtain a fair chance in the race of life. Striving for this is social justice. As for what I’ve done, I’ve: completed online sexual assault advocacy training through New Orleans Family Justice Center (and now awaiting in person training), been interning at STEM NOLA [a nonprofit organiztion whose mission is to engage New Orleans’s youth in the fields of STEM, a mission I believe is admirable as we actively show the youth that we have an interest in their future, some of who might find additional hardships due to how they identify] and started my blog Diary of a Mad Black Pearl [which serves to bring about communication and healing within the Haitian community and display representation]. I have and will continue to show that I am a woman for the people, a woman I am proud to be growing into thanks to the experiences that shaped me.