Award for graduate who achieved her dream
Sheer determination has led to Taiyyibah Irfan achieving her life ambition to become a pharmacist and receiving an annual award for showing care and compassion.
She is now starting her role as a pre-registration pharmacist in Gateshead after graduating from her MPharm Degree at the University of Sunderland.
Although it has taken almost seven years as she coped with the death of her father and cared for her sick mum, lecturers have been so impressed with her dedication that they nominated her for this year’s Jemma O'Sullivan Award for Care and Compassion in the Practice of Pharmacy.
The accolade is presented each year to a student who has demonstrated these qualities during their degree course.
Pharmacy student Jemma O’Sullivan was just 22 when she was killed in a motorway crash 10 years ago – as a lasting legacy, Jemma’s parents Vincent and Margaret sponsor this special award to a graduating student. Taiyyibah stuck with the course, even re-sitting the entire second year, over the years despite her mother’s conditions (including Hepatitis C and chronic appendicitis) and her father passing away in 2017.
She said: “I literally cried for three hours when I was told I'd received the award.
“It was overwhelming. I never thought I’d reach this point, there were so many up and downs, but I just kept going.”
Taiyyibah will be given a special glass gift, as well as a cheque to support her future career.
This is the sixth year that the award has been presented.