About Carissa Brewer
Youth: Roots of Independence
Growing up as the third of four kids in California, my childhood was a blend of fierce independence and deep family connection. My parents, both pharmacists from the Pacific Northwest, filled our lives with outdoor adventures—hiking behind our house daily, backpacking through the Sierra Nevadas, and spending our summers traveling across Utah, Oregon, Washington, and Montana.
I was a soft-spoken, perfectionist kid who naturally gravitated toward tutoring classmates and standing up for the underdogs. In the fourth grade, after researching Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell, I decided I wanted to be a pediatrician. That same year, upon discovering America had never had a female president, I boldly told my class that I would be the first. I always wanted to light the world on fire. By the time I turned 16, I was working summers in my dad's pharmacy, translating prescription directions into Spanish for our patients. I poured that same focused intensity into the varsity swim team and my schoolwork, ultimately graduating as the valedictorian of my high school class of over 500 students.
College: A Driven Path
When it came time for college, I chose UC Berkeley because it was the top public university in the country. I was raised to be practical about education, viewing state schools as the smart, affordable path. I fell in love with the campus and threw myself into my studies with absolute rigor, maxing out my science and math credits every semester. I managed to graduate with honors in just three years with a degree in Molecular and Cellular Biology, all while running an all-girls housing co-op, working in a biochemistry lab, playing intramural sports, and even studying drama abroad in London.
I was always in a hurry back then. Looking for a fast track to help patients, I transitioned straight into pharmacy school, earning my Doctorate of Pharmacy from UC San Diego. Those years were a whirlwind of intense clinical rotations—including rotations with the National Health Service in England and practicing psychiatric pharmacy at the NIH. To graduate debt-free, I balanced it all by working extensive hours as an intern pharmacist alongside my mom.
Professional Years: Clinical & Community
In 2012, life brought me to Idaho when I accepted a position as a clinical ambulatory care pharmacist at Kootenai Health. I specialized in the anticoagulation department, a nuanced field of medicine where dosing is highly sensitive and entirely dependent on a patient's daily life, stress, and habits. Success in my job meant building deep, immediate rapport with people.
Through that work, I became a dedicated, daily advocate for my patients. Coeur d'Alene became my true home, and between managing a demanding caseload and raising my four incredible children, life was beautifully wild. I embedded myself in our community, coaching youth soccer for the Coeur d'Alene Recreation Department and volunteering with local theater organizations like Aspire and Lake City Playhouse. In the clinic, I treated every single patient with fundamental dignity, regardless of how much our political beliefs differed. I believed then, as I do now, that every human being is worthy of respect and kindness.
Advocacy Era: The Why
Everything changed in 2017 when I was diagnosed with a spinal tumor. It was the beginning of a massive, multi-year health battle that eventually included thyroid surgery, hip surgeries, and a series of chronic, invisible diagnoses like Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome and POTS. For years, I had to learn how to aggressively navigate a complicated medical system to advocate for my own survival. Experiencing the world as a disabled woman completely reshaped my perspective. It forced me to transition from a healthcare provider into a systemic advocate.
When community members approached me to run for the Idaho State Senate, I realized this was my calling. I am stepping up because our state needs leaders who lead with both a sharp scientific mind and profound lived empathy.
My ‘why’ remains my kids. My daughters, my son, our disabilities, the affordability of life in general. All Idahoans deserve to be treated as humans no matter their status in society… integrity, dignity, respect and kindness.
I am ready to fight for our public schools, protect and expand our healthcare access, and ensure the underdogs of Idaho are never left behind.
