Brianna Earskine’s story doesn’t begin in Texas. It starts in Chicago, where she was born and raised. A three-time cancer survivor, Earskine took a path to pharmacy that wasn’t one of convenience or circumstance. It was deeply personal.
Diagnosed with Wilms tumor, a rare kidney cancer, at just 3 years old, Earskine relapsed at 10. Her childhood was spent learning about the health care system from the inside out. Among the many roles she encountered during treatment, the pharmacist was the one that stood out. That early spark of curiosity grew into conviction, and by the time she was in college, she knew pharmacy was her calling.
Her journey took another sharp turn at 21, when she was diagnosed with thyroid cancer during her undergraduate studies. Even then, her determination didn’t waver.
“I remember thinking, ‘OK, what now? I don’t want to stop,’” Earskine said.
She completed her finals, underwent surgery and was home within days. Another chapter closed, another step forward.
After being accepted into The University of Texas at Austin College of Pharmacy, things were going smoothly. Earskine was on track, involved in multiple leadership roles and had even completed an internship. But in early 2024, she began feeling off.
“I was so used to going nonstop,” she said. “But I just wasn’t feeling my best, and it caught me off guard.”
A visit to urgent care quickly escalated, and the nurse practitioner sent her straight to the emergency room. Doctors diagnosed her with heart failure and rushed her to the catheterization lab to insert a mechanical pump to support her heart. As the team prepared for the procedure, Earskine’s thoughts weren’t about her health. They were about a missed exam!
“I’d never missed school unless I was seriously sick, and I was freaking out,” she said.
Texas Pharmacy leadership, including W. Renée Acosta, senior associate dean for academic affairs, urged her to focus on her health and reassured her she was supported.
By February 2024, Earskine was transferred to Baylor Scott & White Medical Center in Temple. After reviewing her extensive medical history, the transplant team made a bold decision: They wouldn’t just evaluate her for a heart transplant but also for a kidney. She was added to the United Network for Organ Sharing and told to expect a wait of a few months. Her wait lasted exactly one day.
On March 8, a surgical fellow woke her up with news. A donor had been found. Her heart transplant was scheduled to happen within hours, and she received a kidney transplant the very next day. A few days later, on her birthday, Earskine was up walking the hospital floor.
The outpouring of support during her recovery was overwhelming, she said. Faculty members, classmates and friends brought baskets of cards, flowers and even cupcakes. That love, Earskine said, was instrumental to her fast recovery.
“I truly don’t think I would have bounced back so quickly without that support,” she said.
Despite the physical toll of undergoing both heart and kidney transplants, Earskine has remained academically focused and determined. Remarkably, she is on track to graduate on time from the College of Pharmacy, a testament to her resilience and dedication.
Today, she’s preparing to move to Dallas for her P4 year, continuing her clinical rotations and beginning a Longitudinal Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience at Baylor University Medical Center, home to one of the country’s top Postgraduate Year Two (PGY2) transplant pharmacy programs. Through the program, she has connected with the residency program director for transplant and will collaborate with one of the current residents on a research project — an exciting step toward her new goal of becoming a transplant pharmacist.
However, that goal didn’t always exist. Earskine originally planned to enter the pharmaceutical industry, especially after a life-changing internship in oncology at AbbVie in San Francisco. But her transplant experience and working with her pharmacist, Jon Rek, shifted everything.
“He completely changed my perspective,” Earskine said. “I saw what a transplant pharmacist could mean to someone, not just clinically but personally.”
The decision to pursue residency felt natural after that.
At Texas Pharmacy, Earskine also found a home and a community. As a nontraditional student, she initially wondered whether she’d fit in, but the encouragement from upperclassmen and faculty members helped her realize her potential. That support propelled her into leadership roles on national and international stages. She served in national leadership for the Student National Pharmaceutical Association and with NCODA (Network for Collaborative Oncology Development and Advancement, formerly National Community Oncology Dispensing Association).
“I never imagined I’d do any of that,” she said. “But my peers and advisers believed in me even before I believed in myself.”
Her mentors have all played pivotal roles in shaping her journey, including Acosta; John Richburg, associate dean for research and graduate studies; Carolyn M. Brown, professor of health outcomes; Jamie Barner, division head and professor of health outcomes; and Kristin Janzen, division head and clinical associate professor of pharmacy practice.
“Each of them has had a unique impact, and I’m so grateful for the wisdom and encouragement they’ve shared,” Earskine said.
Earskine was recently honored with the Benjamin Reed Leader in Pharmacy Award from The University of Texas at Austin College of Pharmacy at the 2025 Celebration of Excellence. This prestigious award recognizes exemplary service to the community and leadership to the college through the pillars of leadership, humanitarianism and fellowship. The recognition highlights her unwavering commitment to making a meaningful impact both within the College of Pharmacy and in the broader community.
This year, Earskine’s journey took another exciting turn: During spring break, her boyfriend proposed! It was a moment that symbolized not just the love they shared but also her ability to face each day with resilience, joy and hope. It’s just another chapter in Earskine’s incredible story, one where she balances strength and vulnerability with equal grace.
Anyone who knows Earskine will tell you the same thing: She embodies the very essence of “Longhorn grit.” Her ability to push through challenges is unmatched, and her perseverance is awe-inspiring. Yet, it’s not just her toughness that shines. It’s her sunny, infectious personality. Despite everything she’s faced, Earskine radiates warmth and optimism.
Outside the classroom, Earskine embraces joy and balance. She and her fiancé enjoy comedy shows at Cap City Comedy Club and The Creek and The Cave, or lake-view dinners at vibey Austin staples like Hula Hut. She’s also a self-proclaimed air fryer experimenter. TikTok recipes are fair game, and her latest obsession is pepperoni chips.
And when she needs to reset, TV is her go-to.
“Recently I’ve been watching ‘The Pitt,’” she said. “It’s so good. I just started ‘The Residence’ too, kind of a funny murder-mystery. I love stuff like that.”
Her friends often say you’d never guess she’s had a double transplant.
“And I laugh — thank you! But if only you knew how many pills I take in a day,” she joked.
What keeps Earskine grounded isn’t just resilience. It’s perspective.
“These days, I take it one day at a time,” she said. “For my health’s sake, I can’t afford to stress. So, I just focus on what’s in front of me — sometimes it’s a day, sometimes just an hour. And somehow, that’s been enough.”
