The GROklahoma Podcast Show | Hope is Her Name: From STRONG Scholar to Future Pharmacist – The One with Hope Reeves: Episode 23 (2025)

In this episode, we sit down with Hope Reeves, a recent graduate of the University of Oklahoma and a trainee in the American Cancer Society’s STRONG Program, an initiative designed to diversify the next generation of cancer researchers and healthcare professionals. Hope brings with her a powerful intersection of science and cultural insight, holding degrees in Human Health & Biology and Native American Studies. As an enrolled member of the Choctaw Nation and a descendant of the Chickasaw Nation, her lived experiences have shaped her passion for community-driven, culturally responsive healthcare.

We explore how growing up as the youngest of ten in a tight-knit family inspired her commitment to healthcare and Indigenous advocacy. Hope reflects on the importance of mentorship, facing self-doubt, and the courage it takes to step into spaces not originally built with voices like hers in mind. She opens up about the real barriers to healthcare access in Native communities, including her mother’s journey from Texas to Oklahoma for a second opinion. She also shares her evolving vision for the kind of pharmacist she hopes to become, one who brings together clinical skill and cultural humility, and how the STRONG Program has helped shape her understanding of research, representation, and preventive care.

Hope also takes us into the lighter side of her life, revealing her favorite Oklahoma comfort foods (spoiler: ramen and Indian tacos), and a fun fact not found on her CV: the hours she’s clocked on Fortnite with her friends as a way to de-stress. This conversation is equal parts inspiring and grounding. It’s a story of voice, visibility, and validation. Hope is more than a name—it’s a force guiding the future of healthcare in Oklahoma and beyond.

 

Notable mentions in this episode

• American Cancer Society STRONG Program
• Native American Studies at the University of Oklahoma
• Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium
• Episode 18 with Michelle Fair (Senior Director of Philanthropy at ACS)
• SCC CRTEC

Special shout-out to the CRTEC team for their help in bringing this episode to life.

The GROklahoma Podcast is an initiative of the Oklahoma Shared Clinical and Translational Resources (OSCTR).