The road taken by Eric Edwards to the University of Oklahoma is worthy of a best-selling memoir. Edwards – who currently holds a master of public health degree and is on track to earn his doctorate in pharmacy this May from the University of Oklahoma College of Pharmacy on the OU Health Sciences Center campus – recently shared how his OU experience has prepared him for the next steps of his life.
Born and raised in Philadelphia, Edwards came to know childhood through a challenging lens. He remembers schools and community centers that welcomed students and guests with metal detectors or bars on windows and doors. Edwards shared that the community in which he grew up was a place that did not offer or encourage many opportunities to those who sought them.
The Edwards household was dealt a tragic blow early in Eric’s life. His mother passed away when he was 2. Edwards’ shared that, because of his young age at the time, the impact did not fully impact him until he was much older. Adding to the common hurdles of childhood, Edwards’ father left the home and family behind. Edwards developed a bitter outlook toward life, but with a rare hint of hope.
“I was angry a lot as a kid,” Edwards recalled. “The absence of my parents led to a lot of bitterness. Where I grew up, there were a lot of kids from single-parent homes, so it wasn’t the best environment. But not having a dad did push me to improve.”
Self-improvement is very much in Edwards' DNA.
As Edwards entered high school, he was transferred to Bishop McDevitt High School – a predominantly white high school. Edwards, who is Black, seized the opportunity to live and learn outside his comfort zone as a benefit early on in his development as a scholar there.
“Going to a predominantly white school gave me new experiences I would not otherwise have had. Whether I was meeting new people or learning to get along with new people, seeing other people who grew up in different situations than me drove me to improve.”
Edwards started his high school sojourn believing he would pursue a career in athletics. He exceled in track and football, and he found positive role models in his coaches, which further encouraged his growth and drive for self-improvement.
“They didn’t only want me to excel in athletics, but wanted to push me academically as well,” Edwards recalls. “I had friends’ parents and coaches all pushing me, and I’m so grateful for that level of care.”
Eventually, Edwards found himself at St. Francis University where, driven by curiosity on how the body works from a health standpoint, he pursued a bachelor of science degree in biology. Encouragement from the father of a high school friend helped further him down the path of science.