By Nicholas Amessouwoe

On December 5, the final-year Bachelor of Pharmacy class performed their last experiment. The experiment did not take place in the lab, as usual, but in the classroom, with no beakers, no reagents, no test tubes, just pens and markers. Yet somehow, it felt like one of the most meaningful experiments they have ever performed.

Four years ago, on May 13, 2021, a group of young strangers logged onto Zoom for what would become their very first class together. As the final cohort to feel the full impact of COVID-19 on academic life across the globe, they began the journey amid uncertainty, disruption, and a learning landscape unlike anything seen before. On that day, none of them could have imagined the journey ahead, the confusion of virtual labs, the embarrassments of muted microphones, the resilience it took to learn complex science without ever touching a bench. They learned to recognize each other’s voices before they met face-to-face and leaned on group chats, breakout rooms, and late-night calls to survive a world that felt upside down.

When the lockdown was lifted, and they finally reported physically, stepping onto campus felt like coming home for the very first time. The people they had known as tiny squares on Zoom were now friends with whom they could laugh, hug, lean on, and grow beside. Together, they navigated their first real labs, physical quizzes & exams, big wins, and the exhaustion that comes with training to become pharmacists.

And now, four years later, as they sat in that classroom with their pens and markers, the weight of the moment settled in. They had really spent almost half a decade together. They wrote down parting messages for one another, an exercise that served as a reminder of everything they have survived and everything they have become. This final experiment was done not only for the culture, but also to crown and honor the beautiful transformation these students have undergone as individuals and as the Pharmacy family.

Congratulations, the final-year Bachelor of Pharmacy class!