This pharmacology first-year student is incredibly grateful for the Alumni Scholarship Award, which has made it possible to fully embrace university life and focus on academic goals without the added stress of financial concerns. They’re now pursuing their passion for pharmacology at Nottingham and looking forward to contributing to global drug safety research.
What brought you to the university?
“I was born in Manchester to two Ghanaian immigrant parents who both work as janitors. My father was a passionate mechanic in Ghana and my mother always had dreams of pursuing journalism, however once they moved to the UK these dreams were cut short. I have three younger siblings, but I am the first person in my family to go to university.
“My parents always instilled into me the importance of higher education, as it is something they both wish they had pursued if they had the opportunity. As a result of this, I have always taken pride in my education and take advantage of every opportunity given to me.
“I realised my passion for pharmacology in October 2022 when WHO linked an Indian-made cough syrup to the deaths of 66 children in Gambia, causing a global alert as they located deaths in other countries such as Uzbekistan. The cough syrup had prominent levels of ethylene glycol, which caused kidney failure in the victims (primarily children). After coming across this story, I realised the importance of pharmacology and the benefits of studying it.
“This led me to take part in a virtual work experience for GSK, in which I was tasked with picking out candidates for a mock clinical trial out of multiple hospitals with certain criteria to follow (e.g. being non-smokers over the age of 50), solidifying my passion for pharmacology.”
Research students looking at a sample of printed parts through a microscope
Why Nottingham?
“My dream is to use the knowledge I gain from a pharmacology degree to contribute to the process of drug creation within industry, making sure they are safe for use worldwide through proper development, to avoid incidents like that of the one in Gambia.
“After discovering my interest in the field, I started to look at different universities and eventually settled on Nottingham, as I discovered that you do pharmacology research here. In addition to this, it is a beautiful campus university with lots of greenery, and the fact it is a smaller city gives me a bit of a break from Manchester.”
How the scholarship has helped
“Being able to pursue a degree, especially coming from a working-class background like myself, is a privilege that should be appreciated as fully as possible. The scholarship is allowing me to do this - I have time over the weekend to focus on my studies as well as spend time with friends to ensure that I am my best, most motivated self."
My first term at university has been a bit of a journey - moving into Broadgate Park and being self-sufficient is something that has taken some getting used to. However, I can confidently say that I have become quite well adjusted. This would not have been possible without the scholarship, which I am eternally grateful for.
Pharmacology first-year student
