Competition for Compassion –

January 14, 2020- The VCU Pharmacy student turned Miss America returned to campus Tuesday — for the first time since her win for the national title — to talk about opioid education for the “Silent No More” Overdose Symposium in Cabell Library.

Schrier said when she was looking for graduate programs, she was looking for somewhere “that felt like home,” an aspect she loved about her undergrad years at Virginia Tech.

“I did find that in my school pharmacy,” Schrier said. “The faculty, the staff, the Dean of Students, every person in that entire building, and we were kind of singular. We’re in one building, pretty much.” Schrier went to undergrad at Virginia Tech and was in her first year of her doctorate program at VCU when she won Miss America. She plans to return to VCU in fall of 2021 after her time as Miss America and once she can return to the doctoral program.

“They’ve gone out of their way to support me through this process and publicize what I’m doing,” Schrier said of VCU. “It’s kind of like a working relationship now because I’m helping promote them and they’re helping promote what I’m doing.” Schrier, who has spoken about the opioid epidemic and ways to combat it throughout her Miss Virginia and Miss America competitions, said her passion for the issue grew during a Naloxone training session.

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