UMES pharmacy student’s tweet goes viral, becomes inspirational

When Taiwo Oluyemo, an incoming graduate student to the pharmacy program at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, shared her feelings of hopefulness in a Sept. 3 social media post on X (formerly Twitter), she had no idea how that sentiment would resonate with so many people.

In the first day alone, there were more than 6,000 retweets and likes combined. In the first 10 days, there were more than 8,000 impressions.

As of publication, Oluyemo’s post had more than 8,500 impressions. Posts with more than 1,000 impressions are generally considered to be viral.

“I’ve always wanted to post something like that,” Oluyemo said. “I’ve seen so many people posting about starting their programs that I wanted to do the same. I never expected to get as popular as it did.”

Oluyemo’s journey into pharmacy and to UMES began in her native Nigeria, where she first interned at a pharmacy before pursuing her undergraduate degree at the University of Lagos.

“That internship really opened me up to see different parts of pharmacy,” she said. “I was able to relate to people to the point where they are open to come to you with their problems and to provide solutions for them.”

Oluyemo, who plans to become an industrial pharmacist and professor after graduation, said she solidified her decision to attend UMES after extensive research and discussion with professors in the program and alumni.

“I felt welcomed from the beginning,” she said. “And the environment has been calming and receptive.”

So, what does Oluyemo think about the reaction to her post?

“There’s always pros and cons of social media, but when you get to be part of the positive side of going viral, it feels like it’s hope for people,” she said. “People are encouraged by seeing you, and it allows them to dream.”