He took his own inspiration from childhood -- a family pharmacist named Jim McMillan -- and quickly learned that in pharmacy you could make a difference. "Not only was Mr. McMillan able to help people with their medication issues, he also helped with their life issues. He was a 'difference maker,' and I wanted to make a difference too," he said.

A service-oriented person, Colbert has dedicated his practice of pharmacy and his specialized knowledge to helping others. As an officer in the U.S. Army and a decorated veteran of Operation Desert Shield, Desert Storm and Bosnia, he has practiced pharmacy on four different continents, where he helped care for soldiers. "At the time I joined the Army, I had never been involved in anything more stressful than the Boy Scouts," Colbert recalled. "Being in a position to take care of wounded soldiers was one of the most satisfying things that I have done with my pharmacy training."

Although he specializes in pediatrics, Colbert recognizes that caring for children is not his only job. "When you work with children, by definition, you work with families. I establish that I am there for them as well as for their children," he said. "I am truly in my element when I am teaching families about their children's medication issues. In many ways, I look at myself as the applied chemist on the team. My expertise is in the specific use of these chemicals in young children to promote positive medical outcomes."

Today, Colbert is active in pediatric care associations, including the Pediatric Pharmacy Advocacy Group, the Southern California Pediatric Group and the UCSD Sickle Cell Support Group, which provides education to parents and families about sickle cell disease. He has been selected Pharmacist of the Year in San Diego, and was named a Health Hero by the Combined Health Agencies (CHAD).

Although in pharmacy for 23 years, Colbert is eager to continue his education. "I am a living example of how obtaining an education and taking advantage of the opportunities can truly elevate your standing in society," he said. "We are by definition lifelong learners. The information we need to know seems to increase logarithmically with each passing year."

Colbert looks forward to continuing his community work and inspiring others. "If I were to paraphrase the words of four of my favorite authors and philosophers -- Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Robert Frost, Albert Einstein and Langston Hughes," he said, "my advice to others would probably go something like this: 'Dare to dream and be opportunistic (King), be imaginative (Einstein), understand others and help them understand you (Hughes), but don't spend too much time admiring your successes because there is too much work to do (Frost).'"