Pharmacy graduate student juggles school, work and family
A mother of twins, Sadé Byrd earned a master’s degree from UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy while working full time.
Sadé Byrd’s juggling act will get a little easier after Dec. 14, when she’ll receive her Master of Professional Science in regulatory science from UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy. Before completing her degree, Byrd was balancing her full-time graduate studies with a full-time job as a technical writer and everything that comes with being a wife and a mom to twin daughters Amelia and Alexandra.
“Even with the sacrifice, I always kept my eyes on the end goal to get through the program,” said Byrd. “I can now grow within the industry and be an example to my daughters of what’s possible. I know they’re in middle school right now, but I want to show them that anything is possible. Whatever it is you want to do, if you are disciplined and keep your eyes on the end goal, you can do it.”
A native of Sanford, North Carolina, Byrd first connected with Carolina in high school, when she spent summers in Chapel Hill as part of Upward Bound. The program helps scholars build skills necessary to pursue a bachelor’s degree.
High school is also where she met future husband, Antonio, a Tar Heel fan. Years later, when Byrd was pregnant with her twins in Greensboro, North Carolina, she drove to Chapel Hill for prenatal care and delivery at UNC Hospitals.
Finding her passion
Byrd received a bachelor’s degree in public health education from UNC Greensboro in 2013, and later took a job in the tech industry, working as an executive assistant and program coordinator. She and her husband are also licensed real estate brokers.
At jobs in pharmaceutical and biotech companies, Byrd helped with drug development and wrote procedures for engineering processes. Her work sparked an interest in regulatory affairs and science.
She pursued that interest with her graduate studies at Carolina. Eshelman’s fully online program requires a mix of synchronous and asynchronous courses.
“As a North Carolina resident, I’ve always had high regard for UNC. I also remember learning that they have the No. 1 school of pharmacy,” said Byrd. “That was the icing on the cake in this amazing opportunity; it was meant to be.”
Students learn scientific and business tools for drug development and approval, to help them become better equipped as industry professionals.
“I will be able to play an important role in drug development and work with regulatory authorities or agencies,” said Byrd. “I now have confidence in pursuing regulatory affairs opportunities, and I couldn’t imagine trying to do that without the program. I feel better equipped on a national and global level.”
During her studies, Byrd served as a clinical development intern with the Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, where she assisted the protocol development team with various regulatory tasks to support clinical development for oncology clinical trials. She learned how to draft an initial investigational new drug application to submit to the Food and Drug Administration to start a clinical trial.
(Submitted photo)
While her classes were remote, Byrd visited campus to go to volleyball and basketball games with her husband and her daughters, now 11. They’ll be back in Chapel Hill Dec. 14 to see her graduate.
“My girls and husband are the most important people to me. They’ve truly been motivators for me to keep going,” said Byrd. “I want my kids to hear my name being called and continue to be a light and positive example for them.”
