"Although I am the first person in my family to pursue graduate school, my mom’s career has been an influence on how I see the healthcare field."
Hometown: Phoenix, AZ
Undergraduate degree (college/university and degree earned): Arizona State University, B.S. in Biochemistry and a Minor in Biological Sciences.
What inspired you to pursue a healthcare career?
A few different things inspired me to pursue healthcare, one being that growing up, I absolutely loved my dentist. She was so intentional with each patient and always created such a comforting environment for me and my siblings. I was around 10 when I told her I wanted to be just like her someday. As I got older, my desire for healthcare grew as my family did foster care for 10 years, and I got to see many families in difficult situations where health was not a high concern. It was very eye-opening and showed me the importance of caring for others in your community.
How did your background and history factor into your career choice (e.g., are you the first in your family to attend graduate school; are you the first to pursue a healthcare career or is your family history full of health professionals; did something in your environment or upbringing inspire you; etc.)?
Apart from seeing the type of care those in the foster care system needed, my mom was a great example to me, as she has worked as an LPN for many years. Although I am the first person in my family to pursue graduate school, my mom’s career has been an influence on how I see the healthcare field. She instilled a caring, outgoing, and creative mindset in me that I anticipated myself utilizing in the dental field. I was also homeschooled growing up, and that allowed me to discover what I enjoyed and focus on that. I loved science and anything artsy – two great things to combine in dentistry.
Why did you decide to attend ³ûÄñÊÓƵ?
³ûÄñÊÓƵ highly impressed me through the intentionality that I felt from each faculty member during the interview process. Interview day is a very scary and long day, but from the beginning of it, I felt as though everyone was so kind and truly wanted me at the school. On top of that, I was very impressed with ³ûÄñÊÓƵ’s advanced technology and hands-on opportunities that not all schools can provide. Lastly, the location of the school was near to my family, who are my biggest support system. Although leaving the state for school was an exciting idea, I appreciated the opportunity to stay close to those who would help me through the process.
What about a ³ûÄñÊÓƵ education do you want to carry forward in your career?
³ûÄñÊÓƵ has taught me more than just my hand skills and knowledge regarding dentistry; it has provided me with many opportunities to do what I truly love, which is mentoring. I have gotten the chance to be a mentor for various programs held by ³ûÄñÊÓƵ for students in their undergraduate or high school years who want to pursue a career in healthcare. This has been such a blessing that I want to continue doing it for years to come. I hope to have students learn from me someday in my clinic, volunteer for events or programs that need ³ûÄñÊÓƵ alumni/general dentists, and overall be that mentor for others like ³ûÄñÊÓƵ trained me to be.
