Years ago, she was on death’s door. Now, she’s about to become a �������� pharmacy school graduate

Life doesn’t always go as planned. In fact, it rarely does. Yet, it’s how we adapt and overcome adversity that shapes our lives and who we are.

For Ashanté Concepcion ’25, the prospect of earning a PharmD degree from ��������’s School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences (SOPPS) would’ve seemed impossible just a few years ago.

“I was working in a pharmacy as an intern when I suddenly passed out from a terrible headache,” Concepcion recalled. “I was rushed to the ER and diagnosed with a massive brain bleed that required emergency surgery. The doctors said I’d be a vegetable. I couldn’t walk, talk, or do anything — but I refused to believe that was the end for me.”

Concepcion first got into pharmacy because someone believed in her. Working in a pharmacy right out of high school, the pharmacist there took her under her wing: “She told me I had a knack for it, and that I should apply to pharmacy school — and so I did.”

Now, just as her mentor believed she could become a pharmacist, Concepcion needed to believe in herself to overcome this massive new obstacle standing in the way of her dream.

“Therapy became my life,” she shared. “I was doing speech therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy — everything, just to get back to a place where I could function again.”

The road to recovery took years.

“Eventually, I got back to working in the pharmacy, which helped me reconnect with my goals,” she said. “When I finally got into pharmacy school at ��������, it felt like a dream. I still had deficits — I’m paralyzed on my right side, and I have a bit of a speech impediment.”

“You can do this,” she told herself.

Going back to the pharmacy helped rebuild her confidence. Even just getting in felt like a huge victory.

“There were so many moments during school where I doubted myself. It was hard — I questioned everything,” she said. “But the professors, the staff, my classmates — they all encouraged me and believed in me even when I wasn’t sure I believed in myself. That kind of environment made all the difference. My journey’s had highs and lows, but I wouldn’t change a thing.”

There are many paths a pharmacist can choose to follow when it comes to their career. For Concepcion, being a “people person” that means continuing her career in retail pharmacy.

“I’ve always known I was a ’retail girly’ at heart,” she explained. “I love the interaction, the relationships, the trust you build with patients who come in regularly. It’s not just about filling prescriptions — it’s about knowing people, hearing their stories, and being a familiar, trusted face. I didn’t apply for residency because I know retail is where I’m meant to be right now. And who knows? Someday, I might open up my own pharmacy. The sky’s the limit.”

While the future seems bright, Concepcion knows it will also bring new challenges. In fact, it already has. On top of preparing to become a pharmacist and jump-start her career, she is also navigating a new role: motherhood.

“I had my daughter in November, and to be honest, I was terrified,” she shared. “I thought it might delay graduation, or that I wouldn’t be able to keep up. But the support I got was amazing — from the faculty, from my family. They helped me figure out how to make it work, and I even got to do one of my rotations from home, which was a blessing. It wasn’t easy, but it was possible. And now I get to graduate with my baby girl cheering me on.”

For all that Concepcion has gone through, she has learned to grow from it and stay positive.

“People ask how I manage everything — school, recovery, being a new mom — and it’s because I’m just not willing to give up. When I commit to something, I’m going to finish it,” she said. “I feel like God put me here for a reason, and I’m not going to waste that. If someone tells me I can’t do something, that’s when I double down. That mindset got me through recovery, through school, and now it’s taking me into this next chapter.”

If there’s one thing Concepcion would tell future students or anyone who may be going through a tough time, it would be to never give up.

“Whether it’s a life-changing health issue or someone telling you you’re not good enough, don’t let that be the end of your story,” she said. “Keep pushing. Keep going. You’ll surprise yourself with what you can accomplish when you fight for what you believe in. You’re here for a reason — don’t forget that!”