Pediatric Pharmacist Jessica Jantzer (Class of 2000)

FVL’s mission statement—Preparing teens for lives of service and for eternity—is apparent in the lives of so many of the almost 8,500 graduates in the school’s history. One example is Jessica (Laird) Jantzer (Class of 2000), who has devoted her life in service as a Clinical Pediatric Pharmacist at Hennepin County Medical Center (HCMC) in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Jantzer remembers the FVL teachers, coaches, and friends that influenced her along the way. “The people made FVL a special place. I have great memories with so many friends and teachers. FVL also provided a challenging educational environment without feeling competitive. Teachers pushed me academically, but were supportive of me as an individual child of God.” She was very involved in her days at FVL through athletics, music, and the National Honor Society.

Following FVL, Jantzer attended Wisconsin Lutheran College. Through her love for the sciences and conversations with her cousin, also a pharmacist, she started to see the difference she could make serving others through this profession. After graduating with a B.S. in Biology, Jantzer attended the University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy School for her Doctor of Pharmacy. Upon graduation, she completed a Critical Care Pharmacy Residency at HCMC, after which she was hired to be the primary pharmacist working with critical care pediatric patients.

This line of work can be both challenging and rewarding.

“There are some really tough days in the areas I work; however, kids are remarkably resilient. Since HCMC is a Level 1 Trauma Center, we see a lot of very sick children. I love when those kids improve enough to walk out of the PICU weeks or months later,” she relates. “Seeing the patients and families come back to visit months to years later is also very rewarding. Some families even send us yearly Christmas cards to keep us updated on their lives. The human body is amazing, and I enjoy supporting God’s healing processes and plan as best we can for each child.”
 

This field has also allowed her to impact people throughout the world.

Several of the doctors she works with spend time on medical missions overseas. Together, they recently wrote a book entitled Pediatric Critical Care in Resource Limited Settings (2022). Her contribution was calculating how to make different types of IV fluids from readily available products. Hopefully this book will help support God’s children across the globe.
 

Thank you, Jess, for sharing your talents as you serve the Twin Cities and medical partners throughout the world.