At just twenty-one years old, Theodora Udounwa, a Nigerian, has emerged as a beacon of hope, carving out a unique academic path. She became the youngest University of Toronto PharmD program graduate, bagging a doctorate.
Udounwa's feat came from her sterling academic record at Leslie Dan's Faculty of Pharmacy. Her remarkable drive for academic achievement and conquests in Canada became visible when she completed an undergraduate degree in just two years and the first year of her PharmD coursework during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Despite the emotional challenges some of her Nigerian colleagues encountered as new students in a foreign land, Theodora's resilience shone through, inspiring others with her unwavering determination. She focused on what she could do and joined some of her classmates to help with the "COVID response," as reported by Eileen Hoftyzer, a freelance healthcare editor.
"She was trained earlier to deliver immunizations to help participate in vaccination clinics and personally delivered more than 1,600 COVID-19 vaccines and flu vaccinations at the Discovery Pharmacy pop-up flu clinics".
Theodora Udounwa (photo: Steve Southon)
Theodora's leadership qualities
Theodora was a junior and senior representative on the Canadian Association of Pharmacy Students and Interns' University Council. Her skills and advocacy activities made her prominent, especially when she advocated for diversity and inclusion needs. Her service was apparent when she became one of the bona fide members who helped establish the University of Toronto, now the Black Pharmacy Students' Association, which promotes better representation of diverse voices within the faculty. Udounwa puts this succinctly in her conversation with Eileen Hoftyzer during the association's launch in 2022.
"In that way, we hope to encourage people who do not identify as Black to participate as allies, which would be impactful for their Black classmates." She told Hoftyzer.
From left: Victoria Ezekwemba (2T3 Representative), Kay-Ann Ormsby (2T5 Class Representative), Events Director (Iman Abdulhadi), Theodora Udounwa (2T4 Class Representative), Zaijah Thomas (President), Obinna Okafor-Justin (Finance Director), Oluwadamilola (Dami) Sogbesan (Marketing Director), Ayub Hashi (Secretary), Betelehem Gulilat (Content Director), Mariam Ali (Vice President). (Photo: Bpsa)
A beacon of pride, setting new standards.
Udounwa's excellent GPA in pharmacy practice as the youngest PharmD graduate of the Class of 2024 is a typical example of how Nigerians are still pushing boundaries.
She adds to a revolving list of proud pinnacles for the Black community in the Leslie Dean Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto Research Network, and other Black publications/Associations.
Years earlier, Udounwa shone as one of the brightest students and school leaders at her high school in Oko Kwara State, Nigeria: Thomas Adewunmi International College. Her educational achievements at an early age painted a clearer picture and paved the way for her future successes. Worthy of note is that the feat represents a tale of courage or dare-to-be when written through an African's eyes.
Udounwa will embark on an Industry residency at the Pharma giant Novo Nordisk's medical affairs and strategic operations department in September 2024.
The African Caribbean and Black community looks forward to her next academic feat.
Her family background
Theodora's academic success stems from a family of intellectuals with a knack for academic excellence.
Her father, Major General Solomon Udounwa (rtd), also an academic, served the Nigerian Army in strategic leadership capacities, with the last being the Chief of Defence Training and Operations, Armed Forces of Nigeria. Her mother, Arit Udounwa, is a successful leader in banking and finance, thus making Theodora personify the idiomatic expression: "The apple does not fall far from the tree."
Gratitude:
Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto.
Steve Southon, Digital Communications and Media Specialist, U of T
Eileen Hoftyzer, freelance healthcare editor.
Black Pharmacy Students' Association (BPSA)