In my travels the last couple of years, I’ve had the occasion to meet many remarkable individuals. Some of these folks have been recognized by their peers for work that transcends the best of the best. Mentors who make a sustained impact on students are some of my favorites, and Arlyn Kloesel, BPharm, at the University of Texas (UT) College of Pharmacy, is one of those people.

A wonderful profile of Arlyn appears in The Alcalde, the UT alumni magazine.

Arlyn Kloesel, the Distinguished Senior Lecturer of Pharmacy Practice, is retiring from a 55-year career. His legacy, the article says, is Care and Respect for the Elderly (CARE), a program for all first-year student pharmacists that matches them with residents of nursing homes. In CARE, the students don’t advise residents or their families about medications. Instead, they watch, learn, and befriend.

APhA honored Arlyn in 1998 with the well-deserved Gloria Niemeyer Franke Leadership Mentor Award. He has also been recognized by the UT System Board of Regents, UT–Austin, UT College of Pharmacy, Texas Exes, and Texas Pharmacy Foundation. A high school football fan who asks student pharmacists where they went to high school and then names the mascot, Arlyn has even loaned money to students in need. Dean M. Lynn Crismon, PharmD, told The Alcalde: “I don’t think I’ve ever met a more caring and giving person in my life.”

The stories of mentors like Arlyn make fascinating and inspiring reading. I hope you enjoy his story as I offer a colossal tip of the hat to Arlyn Kloesel!