‘This almost didn’t happen for me’ — One College of Pharmacy student’s journey to a dual degree

LEXINGTON, Ky. (May 5, 2025) — In just a few days, Eunice Relucio will walk across the graduation stage to receive a Pharm.D./Master of Science in Pharmaceutical Sciences dual degree from the University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy — a moment that once felt nearly impossible. 

Born in the Philippines, Relucio’s relationship with education began under the most fragile circumstances.  

“My parents told me there was a point before we moved that they would have had to pull me out of school,” Relucio shared. “Because in the Philippines, you pay for school and exams — everything comes at a cost. They said they were going to pull me out in second grade because they just couldn’t afford it anymore.” 

That moment, when her future was nearly cut short before it even truly began, has stayed with Relucio ever since. It fuels her gratitude, drive and sense of responsibility to make this opportunity count. 

What followed was a life of transitions: from immigrant daughter to U.S. Army officer, from corporate manager to student pharmacist. Her path wasn’t linear, and it wasn’t easy. But each chapter carried her closer to who she was meant to become. 

After four years serving in the military, Relucio faced a challenge many veterans know all too well: re-entering civilian life. 

“You go from something very regimented, where your identity is built around service, to this completely different world,” she explained. “You’re expected just to pick up and move on, but no one tells you how.” 

In her search for purpose beyond the uniform, Relucio asked herself a powerful question: When was the last time I felt fulfilled? The answer led her, slowly but with growing certainty, to pharmacy. 

It wasn’t just a second career — it was a way to keep serving and helping people, albeit in a different uniform. 

She enrolled at UK, drawn by the Pharm.D. program’s rigor and mission. But starting over wasn’t easy. As a self-described “hyper-independent” person — shaped by years of military structure and self-reliance — asking for help didn’t come naturally.  

“Most of my struggles came from not wanting to ask for help,” Relucio admitted. “But I had to learn to lean on others.” 

That lesson was tested during intense inpatient clinical rotations, where the stakes were high and the days were long.

“There were definitely rough days,” she said. “But I made it out. I’m alive.” 

Relucio didn’t just grow in the classroom. She stepped outside it, competing in the Global Health Case Challenge — a grueling, days-long team project focused on solving water access issues for the Diné (Navajo) Nation.  

“We were up all night after midterms,” she said. “It was exhausting — but so rewarding.” 

That experience, like many others, deepened her commitment to addressing health disparities and broadened her definition of service. 

Along the way, Relucio brought a unique set of skills shaped by her past roles. As a U.S. Army transportation officer, she planned and executed over 20 logistics movements to set up a field hospital at Lumen Field in Seattle, Washington, during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic — work that saved lives and filled critical supply gaps. 

Later, in a short but impactful stint at Amazon, she led process improvements that boosted operational output and trained incoming managers. These experiences were opportunities to lead, adapt and deliver under pressure. 

As graduation nears, Relucio carries with her a deep sense of gratitude — not just for the degree, but for the journey that made it possible.

“This opportunity would’ve been taken from me had my parents not moved to the U.S. and sacrificed so much,” she said. 

Although Relucio isn’t the loudest voice in the room, she’s undoubtedly one of the strongest. And as she dons her regalia and walks the stage, she won’t just be celebrating a degree. She’ll be honoring the story that almost didn’t happen — and the life her younger self once dared to dream about. 

“I’m thankful I’m here,” she said. “And I’ll be sure to make the best out of it.”