As an eager young boy living in Syria, I grew up watching my father practice pharmacy as a career and above all, a passion. The foundation of my interest in pharmacy was already laid in those early years when I was merely a keen observer at his local drug store. From my perspective, pharmacists have always been helpers and advisors who support their communities with much care and attention. As I grew and developed a scientific interest in the field, I learnt how much the field itself is ever-evolving and how there will always be room for new discoveries and breakthroughs, hence pursuing this field on the long-term fits the mold of my curious character in many ways.

Being a refugee over the past few years has taught me the real value of carrying knowledge, and seeking knowledge. For some fields such as biochemistry and pharmacology, such knowledge is transferable cross-culturally and has the potential to serve hundreds of thousands in a community.