The Women in Pharmacy Leadership (WIPL) Alumni Mentorship Program pairs alumni who identify as females with working or retired professionals in their field of interest, to help them move towards their leadership goals. In this series, Waterloo Pharmacy spotlights their experiences.
Carla Beaton and Avalon Nazareth (Rx2011) were one of nine mentor and mentee pairs who participated in the 2024-2025 alumni mentorship program.
Making a career change can be challenging and nerve wracking but having a mentor can help guide you and empower you to trust yourself to take a chance. The program has helped Avalon increase her confidence and has provided her with more guidance as to how to position herself in her career journey.
“Not only has much confidence grown, but my career aspirations have grown. I’ve learned to network better and am excited to make my career jump when the time comes,” says Avalon.
Carla is vice president quality improvement and innovations at Think Research (TRC) Pharmapod, a patient safety software and global digital healthcare company. Her career spans over 30 years in health care within the private and public sectors; including community, post-acute and long-term care.
Avalon works as a clinical pharmacist on a Cardiac Surgery unit at a large academic hospital in Calgary. Her inpatient experience also includes internal medicine, intensive palliative care and cardiology. She also previously enjoyed her time working in elderly care at a specialty pharmacy in assisted living, where in addition to clinical activities she supported onboarding new facilities for a growing company.
Carla and Avalon met monthly for an hour for a virtual call and longer, if needed. Their open communication and the flexibility of the program has allowed them to create a meaningful mentorship.
Not only has much confidence grown, but my career aspirations have grown. I’ve learned to network better and am excited to make my career jump when the time comes.
Q&A with Carla and Avalon
UW: Why did you decide to join the program?
AN: Sometimes when you’ve been in one place for so long, you wonder whether you’re an attractive candidate for new positions, you start to doubt yourself. When I saw the program callout I immediately applied. As someone who loves helping others, it was interesting to be on the receiving end as a mentee. Additionally, I sought to increase my conflict management and leadership skills along with navigating a career transition.
UW: What’s one thing you wish someone had told you when you were starting your career?
CB: I wish someone would have told me not to worry about having all the qualifications or experience and to just go out and try new things. I encourage younger woman to ‘say yes’ to new challenges in the workforce. Even if you have never done something, say yes when the opportunity appears and then figure out how to do it. You are not on your own, ask for help, there are many people out there that want to help you succeed, this is how you expand your knowledge. When you are solution oriented with positive energy, leadership is more likely to open doors for you, teach you new skills and choose you for new opportunities over others. Always accept new challenges, if you say no the chances of getting asked again are lower.
UW: How has the program helped you personally or professionally?
AN: Carla is an inspiration and continues to provide encouragement and guidance. She is a problem solver and is always ready to tackle situations that I find difficult. She has helped me self reflect in unique ways. For example, I can be too honest. Carla has shown me how this is a common trait in many women. We can be forthcoming with information that doesn’t necessarily advance our desired outcomes.
CB: The program is helpful for me in that it challenges me to self-reflect in a way I haven’t before. I have thirst for learning and that extend to mentorship. To be an effective mentor, one has to be open to learn, change and listen. This is my second time as a mentor for the program. I continue to learn from my mentees who inspires me to think outside my world. We all continue to build on our skills with further room to improve.
UW: What are you excited about for women that are entering the pharmacy field as leaders?
CB: I am so impressed with the female pharmacists that are entering the pharmacy field as leaders and most are active on social media. They are very well spoken and inspiring, using their platforms to advance the profession. I’m excited for those who do and those who will hold positions of influence as leaders. I am confident that they will make a positive difference in pharmacy and have demonstrated that people want to follow them
We created the Women in Pharmacy Leadership Program to build leadership capacity and empower women in pharmacy to achieve their full potential.