Dr. Chadarryl Silguero-Clay, a member of the Class of 2012, discovered where she wanted to take her career while she was still a student at GPS. She attended Virginia Commonwealth University, where she was a member of the women’s basketball team, before following her dreams and attending the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy. Today, Silguero-Clay serves as the pharmacy manager at Harris Teeter in Durham, North Carolina.
Q. How did you get into what you’re doing now? Did you always know you wanted to enter a medical field?
A. Ever since I took chemistry at GPS, I knew that I wanted to pursue my studies in that area. GPS actually had a career day my sophomore year, and one of the women who came to speak to us was a pharmacist. She explained how she had gotten her degree in chemistry and how it fit perfectly into her journey of becoming a pharmacist. After meeting and talking with this woman, I decided my sophomore year that I, too, would become a pharmacist.
Q. Why are you passionate about what you do?
A. I am extremely passionate about my line of work as a pharmacist. The biggest thing that draws me to this profession is not only being able to help people but being able to be an accessible source of information for those in my community. I especially enjoy serving the underserved populations, such as people of color, because healthcare resources are often limited to those populations. It is a joy to be able to provide both knowledge and professional services to those who may not be able to afford it or have access to what they require. Being a pharmacist allows me to have an unbelievable platform and influence on those who may have mistrust in our healthcare system.
Q. What was your favorite tradition at GPS?
A. I would have to say my favorite tradition was Spirit Week, believe it or not. Being an athlete at the school, Spirit Week meant one thing and one thing only: the big rivalry game against Baylor would be that week. I loved the energy that week and all of the support that the school would show to me and my teammates leading up to the big game.
Q. What was your most memorable moment at GPS?
A. Winning the basketball state championship two years in a row with my amazing teammates! I’ll remember those wins forever. My teammates-classmates and I are still as thick as thieves and have been that way since the first day we stepped on campus in 2006 for our sixth-grade year. Although at a distance, this group of girls kept me sane through my collegiate athlete days, throughout pharmacy school days, and now when I’m all grown up in the real world.
Q. Can you point to anything that GPS did to prepare you for your future?
A. GPS equipped me with amazing tools when it came to academia. I highly credit GPS for my being able to handle being a collegiate athlete while also majoring in chemistry. GPS challenged me so much academically starting in the sixth grade that, when I got to college, it was honestly a breeze in the academic world. I had learned how to manage my time and how to develop effective study habits, and most importantly, how not to be afraid to ask for help and reach out to teachers to explain something if I didn’t understand.
Q. What is a GPS girl to you?
A. I believe a GPS girl to be a strong, hardworking girl who isn’t afraid to admit where she is weak but doesn’t dwell on or shy away from that weakness and instead takes it on headfirst and equips herself with the necessary tools to turn that weakness into one of her strengths.
Q. Are there any quotes that really resonate with you/guide you in your daily pursuits?
A. “Find your reason why because people don’t burn out because of what they do, they burn out because they forget the reason why they do what they do.” This quote, to me, can be applied to anything, whether it's working out, studying, or getting up for work every day. If you remember the end goal or the reason why you began doing something, it makes it that much easier to keep pushing and giving your all to that task.
Q. What is your proudest accomplishment thus far?
A. I must say that my proudest moment was being the first person in my family to walk across a college graduation stage and then obtaining my doctorate. I felt proud to be a Black woman achieving those honors.
Q. Why is Black History Month important to you, and why is it important that we acknowledge and honor the month here at GPS?
A. In my family, there aren’t any doctors or lawyers or anyone who society deems “successful” but myself. I didn’t grow up with many people who looked like me who were considered “successful” outside of athletes. Many assumed that my only way out would be being the best basketball player in the area. Thankfully I had a family who envisioned more for me and my siblings and did whatever necessary to help us follow a different path than society may have expected. What Black History Month does is show someone who looks like me that you can achieve great and powerful things and that you can make a difference in this world! Being able to learn about someone who looks like you who made an impact on this world gives you that little push that you need when you look around the room and don’t see anyone who looks anything like you. When you feel like an outsider, you can remember those who came before you who achieved greatness. It makes you appreciate the struggles and the sacrifices that were made for someone of color to have a chance today.