Two Doctor of Pharmacy students are promoting palliative care by bringing a global art project into the College of Pharmacy.

Before I Die is a global art project that invites people to contemplate their own passing and reflect on their lives. Originally created by the artist Candy Chang on an abandoned house in New Orleans after she lost someone she loved, today there are over 2,000 walls around the world. Community members create public walls to restore perspective and share with one another. Each wall is a tribute to living an examined life.

Doctor of Pharmacy students Sophia Johnson and Morgan Jacks, both enrolled in the Palliative Care Certificate program, learned about this project from James Ray, associate professor, and Kashelle Lockman, assistant professor, Department of Pharmacy Practice and Science. Johnson and Jacks wanted to pursue this endeavor to promote palliative care and encourage others to think about their own mortality. A Before I Die wall was created in the college to examine common anxieties, contemplate mortality, and better understand what it means to be human.

“We are hoping this wall will enable students, faculty, and staff to share their thoughts more freely and to be honest with themselves,” said Johnson. Jacks and Johnson will submit photos of the completed wall to the national organization, along with a list of responses.