Bulchand and Laxmi Motwani Memorial Scholarship

My existence as a low-income minority child was riddled with difficulties from an early age. However, the most important obstacle I endured was the death of my loving father when I was 14, just before starting high school. This horrific loss put me in a state of mourning and changed my outlook on life. Furthermore, my ambitions of becoming a pharmacist looked out of reach owing to severe self-doubt about my ability. In this article, I will describe my path of overcoming adversity, how I overcame self-doubt to follow my dream of becoming a pharmacist, and how my experiences as a low-income minority impacted my resilience. My father's death at a young age was a watershed point in my life. The gap created by their absence was immense, and it had a significant impact on my mental well-being. For a long time, I felt alienated and struggled to cope with the crushing pain, to the point that I considered dropping out of school. Furthermore, while my mother fought to make ends meet, our family experienced financial uncertainty, making our situation much more difficult. My sister was distraught, and my niece was just six years old at the time. Despite these difficulties, I recognized that I needed to be strong not just for myself, but also for my family. This event taught me the value of resilience and adaptation and prepared me for the challenges that lay ahead. Following the incident, I had a strong desire to work in healthcare, primarily in pharmacy. However, because I was low-income, I frequently felt like an outsider in the medical industry. My lack of experience and money made me doubt my ability and credentials. I was tormented by feelings of inadequacy, and I frequently questioned if I had what it required to thrive in the cutthroat world of pharmacy or what alternative jobs I might pursue. This self-doubt formed a roadblock between me and my goals, slowing my development. I didn't believe myself to be intelligent or skilled, but others did. Despite my self-doubt, I refused to let it define or govern my destiny since my niece influenced me much because she regarded me as her role model. I began looking for ways to get pharmacy experience, such as volunteering at local clinics and shadowing pharmacists, but I was unable to find any at the time. I still went to university and graduated with honors with a B.S. in Cellular and Molecular Biochemistry. I was surrounded by wonderful instructors who not only pushed me to apply to pharmacy school but also to work in their research laboratories. I grew to trust myself more and more, and finding the world of biochemistry inspired me to go to graduate school. I applied and got accepted into the School of Pharmacy with a total seat capacity of 65. My access to great education, resources, and opportunities was frequently hampered by financial restrictions. My community on the Borderlands is on the lower of healthcare access. I want to become a healthcare professional in my community to give back to them because they helped me in my time of need and I want to do theirs in the future. It is my way of helping those and giving back to the place that raised me. My experience shows that difficulty does not define us; rather, it motivates us to become stronger and more resilient versions of ourselves. As I continue my pharmaceutical career, I am dedicated to breaking down barriers, advocating for others, and making a difference in the lives of individuals who experience similar obstacles.