“What’s your why?”
This is the question ACP Council president Stan Dyjur posed to the University of Alberta Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences Class of 2019 at ACP’s annual Grad Brunch.
“What will make you wake up every morning with excitement about the opportunities the day will bring, saying, today is the day?” Stan continued. “What drives you? What motivates you? What makes you happy? And what will push you to not quit, to get up when you fall down?”
Stan asked these questions to pharmacist graduates in hopes of inspiring a new group of leaders in the profession. He said that while leaders must be bold, courageous, and emotionally intelligent, they also must have the “why” figured out.
“Why did you dedicate so many years to be able to enter this profession?” he asked the graduates. “Why are you going to take on the leader’s mindset when you go on to start your pharmacy practices? What will success look like to you? Because being that great pharmacist that I know you all want to be and will be, is going to be hard work. It’s going to take a lot of effort, so you want to make sure that it is all working towards that why, that clear vision of where you want to go with your life and your career.”
Stan, himself, was inspired by the new class of future pharmacists.
“I see greatness in all of you,” he told the crowd. “I can see it. You are all amazing. I see leaders in all of you. Whether you see it in yourselves or not, I can see it in you and as you move into this profession of pharmacy, you will have more opportunities to make a difference in the lives of patients than anywhere else in Canada, or the world. But you will also be faced with challenges. And to be successful, you will need to lead yourselves, first and foremost, and the unlimited potential that is within all of you.”
Stan also presented two awards on behalf of ACP to pharmacy’s future leaders.
Cassandra Cooper won the ACP Gold Medal Award for achieving the top academic standing for the Class of 2019.
Sean Hanson received the Alberta Pharmacy Students’ Association (APSA) Past President Award for his service during the past year.
Also, in keeping with a longstanding tradition, ACP registrar Greg Eberhart led the graduates in reciting the ACP Code of Ethics, which will serve as the cornerstone for their future pharmacy practices.
We’ll give the last word to Stan, who had these closing remarks to the graduates:
“Dream big, Class of 2019, but start small. Act now. Don’t stop.”
