MY STORY

Today, I serve as the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Tenured Associate Professor of Pharmacology at Presbyterian College School of Pharmacy. I was born and raised in Côte d’Ivoire, West Africa, the third of seven children in a modest yet close-knit family. Although soccer is the dominant sport in my country, I developed a deep passion for basketball at an early age after watching the legendary U.S. “Dream Team” compete in the 1992 Olympics. That moment sparked a lifelong commitment to the sport, eventually earning me a place on my neighborhood team and later, the Côte d’Ivoire national men’s basketball team. In 2005, I received a full athletic scholarship to join the men’s basketball program at Kansas State University. After my collegiate athletic career, I chose to pursue my true calling in the sciences. I earned a Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences from the University of South Carolina College of Pharmacy, which laid the foundation for my academic and professional journey.

For over a decade, I have devoted my time and energy to pharmaceutical research, teaching, and community service—both in the United States and back home in Côte d’Ivoire.

I’ve always believed that you don’t need to be a millionaire to be a philanthropist. What matters most is the willingness to give, to uplift, and to serve. My path has never been about wealth—it’s been about purpose and impact. That belief inspired me to launch this foundation.

My life’s mission is to open doors for others—through education, research, expanded healthcare access, and by sharing my own journey as a source of hope. While I’ve been honored with recognitions from various entities both in the U.S and abroad, my greatest reward remains the ability to make a difference in people’s lives. I may not come from privilege, but I live with purpose. And that, I believe, makes all the difference.