Twenty Pharmacy Students Graduate Summa Cum Laude

BY: .

A record number of 18 Bachelor of Pharmacy and two Bachelor of Pharmacy Honours students graduated summa cum laude from UKZN this year.

This is what some of them had to say about their achievements:

Justin Naidoo: ‘It’s an incredible feeling of joy knowing that this journey I embarked on four years ago has finally seen me reach my destination. Reading “Degree complete – summa cum laude” was the fruitful outcome of long nights and gruesome early mornings where I found myself caught up between research, tests and ward rounds but finally the stress has drawn to a close and I can catch up on some much-needed rest. I have faced many challenges over the years - among the many were having to deal with losing a loved one, stress and time management - but I am grateful for amazing people like my grandmother, my parents and friends for being a source of energy from which I drew strength.’ Naidoo hopes to return to do his master’s degree.

Tamika Shah Sewpersadh hopes to become a Medical Doctor. ‘I am currently studying Medicine at UKZN as a first-year Medical student thanks to my achievement in Pharmacy. Due to the strike, lectures were cut down and we had to self-study most of the sections. I had to watch videos to understand concepts and research about various medications and illnesses.’

Laya Arra Nadia: ‘I am humbled by this accomplishment. To have reached the end of my degree with this achievement is a great honour.’

Shrimal Umichand: ‘I always had an interest in the Health Science field. I found it fascinating how a small tablet can affect the body in various ways. So I decided to study in this field. I feel great about my achievement and once I complete my community service, I want to further my studies.’

Tamon Cafun is proud that all her hard work has eventually paid off. ‘This has shown me that whatever I put my mind to can be achieved. I plan to work and earn lots of money. I had to sacrifice my social life to get good grades and complete my degree. Another challenge I faced was when my dad died in my third year but my family and friends helped me get through this difficult time and I remained focused.’ 

Kimera Maniram is very excited and at the same time humbled by the accomplishment. She would like to get more involved in community projects and volunteer work. ‘I’ve always wanted to study in the field of Science but at the same time help those in need, hence Health Sciences and Pharmacy were a good fit for me.’

Sabeehah Imran Tar Mahomed:  ‘The feeling is indescribable; it is a combination of empowerment, satisfaction and extreme gratitude.  My parents have been my pillar of support and my source of emotional strength.  I am also fortunate to be married to someone who supports me not only as a person but who supports my dreams and goals.’

Sadhana Reddy: ‘I am surprised as I wasn’t expecting such an achievement. I now want to focus on my family who have been behind me all the way. There were some positive and negative experiences. On a positive note, some of our lecturers were knowledgeable beyond pharmacy and were awe-inspiring, especially Dr Elizabeth Ojewale -you were the light of inspiration to many of us, we thank you!’

Sandhya Naidoo: ‘Becoming a Pharmacist has been a dream of mine since childhood. Now that I have attained my degree, I want to get more involved in the manufacturing of pharmaceuticals. I have been privileged to have grown up in a family that has always supported me in everything.  My secret in dealing with work overload was keeping continuous track of deadlines and allocating study sessions that ensured I covered enough work every day and had enough time to revise my study material. Stress was also a major problem for me but through maintaining proper time management, eating healthy and exercising, I was able to resolve this challenge.’

Lason Govender: ‘I did not choose Pharmacy, it chose me. After my first year of studying I was motivated to remain in the field. A motivation and a driving force for me was having to maintain my academic results above 80% every year in order to retain my UKZN scholarship. I have received over R100 000 in campus scholarships and bursaries based solely on my academic performance. I am indeed truly grateful for those aids - without them, studying may not have been possible.’

Revashna Dhanraj: ‘Astonished! There simply isn’t a more precise word to describe the exact emotions attached to achieving my degree in the highest category. The reality is the more effort and sacrifices you put into achieving your goals, the greater the sense of accomplishment and that destiny and hard work go hand in hand.’

Ellisha Francis would like to work for an innovative, leading pharmaceutical company, and be involved with the research and development of new drugs. ‘Time management was a constant problem as was adjusting to the workload. As I approached the final years of study, less time was spent on campus and more time spent in clinical settings. This left me with less time for one-on-one contact time with lecturers. I eventually had to use whatever free periods I had to consult with my lecturers and to adjust to burning the midnight oil in the latter years of my degree.’

Serisha Sanker feels proud that her hard work has paid off and is excited about her new journey. She intends to return to UKZN and do her Masters in Pharmaceutics. ‘I would like to get into industrial pharmacy in the future. I am very grateful for the merit scholarships which I received every year for obtaining an ‘A’ aggregate at UKZN. Graduating summa cum laude for my Honours degree in Pharmacy is my greatest achievement to date. I am eternally grateful and elated to have finally reached this goal, after four years of hard work.’

Leah Benice Andrew hopes to pursue a master’s degree and specialise in clinical pharmacology. She believes this will extend the scope of practice of a pharmacist in the healthcare sector. She also aims to obtain a PhD in Pharmacology one day, become an expert in the field and share her passion with the next generation of scientists.

Nikita Singh is filled with a sense of pride, joy and satisfaction. She is also relieved that all her late nights of studying were worth it.  ‘I hope to one day be a responsible pharmacist and then a regional manager of a renowned retail pharmacy.’ A major challenge she faced was drawing a fine balance between work and leisure. She decided to set herself studying goals and when she achieved them, she would reward herself by going to the movies or having lunch with friends.

Kimisha Parmaswar: ‘This has been my greatest accomplishment in life so far. I want to pursue my Masters in Pharmacoeconomics after my community service.’

Reyna Khoosal: ‘I have always believed that the health science field, specifically pharmacy, would enable me to do what I enjoy and at the same time contribute and help our community. My fascination with Chemistry and Medicine guided me towards Pharmacy.’

 Lihle Sosibo