In the early 2000s, almost 7,000 miles away from Samford, a young girl dreamed of making a difference.
That girl was Sally Falahat. Growing up in the country of Jordan, Falahat understood the importance of a health care system that offered adequate sources of healing for its patients. “I knew from a very young age I wanted to be in the health care field when I was older. But I was not sure what that would look like for me,” she recalls.
Her dream gained clarity when she came to America with her family in 2007. Here, she learned about chemistry, the human body and the importance of proper medication management. Falahat envisioned a life of advocating for patients’ needs and building relationships with each one. Simply put, she began to see her future in pharmacy.
“As a future pharmacist, I want my patients’ family members and friends to see me as a person they can trust their loved ones’ lives with . . . I also want to be a source of hope, joy and light for people. I want them to see they are not just a number to me, but rather a precious and worthy human being made in the image of our Almighty God,” shared Falahat.
Today, Falahat finds herself as a third-year Doctor of Pharmacy student in Samford’s McWhorter School of Pharmacy. Her education is positively impacted by the McWhorter School of Pharmacy annual scholarship. Since the scholarship’s inception nearly a decade ago, alumni and friends have come together to help make pharmacy school possible for more than 200 students.
Falahat is only one of many students across all ten of the university’s schools who have benefited from the generosity of scholarship donors.
“Students come to Samford from all over the world, from an almost endless variety of backgrounds and cultures,” noted Randy Pittman, Samford's vice president for university advancement. “Regardless of the diversity of their respective pasts, their futures are united by the possibility of exhibiting professional excellence in service to God and others. That possibility is often fueled by scholarships provided by gifts from generous members of the Samford family.”
Yes, through contributions our donors are providing an education. But, they are also making it possible for Samford students to make a difference in the lives of others. Falahat’s scholarship has helped her pursue a desire to be a pharmacist “who is caring, trustworthy, humble and passionate.” And the world is better for it.
To learn more about how you can help provide a Samford education and the opportunities it affords, go to samford.edu/giving.