UNDAUNTED—An Alumni Entrepreneurship Story
Chrissy-Ann Thomas wears many hats — pharmacist, entrepreneur, wife — but there is one word that probably describes her best - resilient. Thomas is a 2022 alumna of the Medical Sciences Faculty who obtained a BSc in Pharmacy. She was admitted to the programme after an inauspicious academic journey which included failing and repeating CSEC subjects and having to apply to The UWI three times before she was finally admitted to her desired programme. Once she got into UWI, things started to change. Thomas was the top student in the Pre-Science programme, earning all As at graduation and having earned a BSc in Pharmacy in 2022, she now operates a successful over-the-counter pharmacy in her home community of Beetham Gardens. According to Thomas, one of the reasons for her success at The UWI was her lecturers. “The lecturers believed in me from the first day. They really encouraged me as a mature student,” said Thomas. Thomas started at The UWI in her 30s and was apprehensive about matriculating with younger students. “God’s timing is so perfect. If I had started UWI before, I might not have been ready for the workload, so everything happened at the right time,” added Thomas. While lecturers and professors encouraged her at school, Thomas was not short of inspiration at home. All of Thomas’ siblings are alumni of The UWI and in their home, her mother’s
“wall of fame” for graduation photos inspired her to aspire, as did her father’s example as he tried to run and grow a small business in the community. “I always wanted to give back to my community, especially after watching my dad do it. Growing up, they used to call me Dr Chrissy and now people know how long I studied and they know that I stood through it all. Seeing the smiles of customers and being able to help people right within my neighbourhood brings me joy. Even if it’s something as simple as a headache, helping to alleviate that problem brings joy to me,” she said. As someone who remains heavily involved in community outreach through her church and by mentoring and tutoring youth, Thomas has a message for all students who may not succeed on the first try. “My personal mission statement is that a failure is only a failure when you fail to try again. I live by that statement. I failed so many times before, but I would tell myself, ‘Chrissy, a failure is only when you fail to get up’ and then I’d go again. People would ask me why didn’t I just change careers, but I knew God wanted me to be in the pharmaceutical field.” The St. Augustine Campus provides many avenues for entry into life-changing degree programmes, including pre-university and certificate programmes that require just five CSEC passes for entry. See the digital brochure for Pre-University and Certificate programmes for more.
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