Major:

About Me:

I am from San Diego, California and enjoy everything related to the beach. I am obsessed with traveling and even have a travel blog! In my spare time I like to cook, work on my blog, stand up paddle board, play with my dogs, study, shadow, and go on any kind of adventure. I currently shadow an oral surgeon and a general dentist. In the summer I work two full time jobs as a supervisor for Cold Stone Creamery and as a front desk receptionist for an escrow company. A fun fact is that I have traveled to every continent except Antarctica. Oh and I still have a baby tooth!

Why Dentistry:

I have always been interested in doing something medically related but it wasn’t until a team of dentists helped my mom attain a healthy smile that I chose to pursue the field of dentistry. I was introduced to dentistry when I immigrated to the United States from Jakarta, Indonesia and saw my mother receive the oral care that she desperately needed. I was inspired by the dentists that were able to help her and realized how drastically they affected my mom’s life in a positive way. Since then, I have taken every opportunity to shadow multiple dentists, attend numerous dental conferences and workshops, work on my dexterity, take part in global dental relief efforts, and take passion in helping lead this amazing organization through the various positions I have held. Go Project Smile!

Major:

Biology- Micro/Immuno

About Me:

I am a senior who has fought an uphill battle to get to where I am today. I have found that no single path leads to success and am working hard to reach my goal of becoming a dentist. In my downtime I enjoy spending time with family as well as arts and crafts.

Why Dentistry:

I investigated several different fields of medicine and found that this one intrigued me the most. My desire to become a dentist quickly became obvious as I shadowed a local dentist. I was excited to be in a dental office where it had seemed like a chore for other professions. Dentistry, in some aspects, can be viewed as an art form and that stuck with me because I really enjoy art.

Major:

Human Bio

About Me:

I am from a small town in the Central Valley called Hughson. I enjoy spending my time in the outdoors and exploring new places, playing with my Husky, and sports, among other things. I also enjoy helping animals by volunteering at my local wildlife center and helping people by volunteering at my local hospital, and vision enhancement center.

Why Denistry:

I always wanted to have a career that would help others around me. I realized dentistry was for me when I held a denture in my hand during a presentation from a Dentist when I was in high school. I saw just how much Dentists could impact the lives of others through their profession and I saw myself doing the same. I know the road to become a Dentist is tough, but I am more than willing to keep striving to accomplish my goals. Not only will I help benefit the lives of my future family, but of families all around me as well.

Major:

Human Biology

About Me:

I was born in Denver Colorado and moved here when I was around 12. I am a big sports fan and really love to watch football, being from denver my favorite team is the Denver Broncos. I am interested in perhaps becoming a cosmetic dentist, there is so much satisfaction taking something that starting off might not be nice and molding it into something amazing, Everyone’s smile is a diamond in the rough I want to be the person who can uncover it and give people a beautiful smile.

Why Dentistry:

I actually just joined the club not being really interested but the more I looked into dentistry the more I fell in love with it. I can't really stand people getting hurt or dealing with life threatening situations, however dentistry provided a wonderful avenue for me to be able to work hands on in the healthcare field and truly make a difference in people's lives. The first time I held a drill everything just felt "right" like I finally found something that I was searching for, a long lost calling that's how I knew I wanted to become a dentist. Also later I found out that before my mom had to move from her country she was on her way to become a dentist which just really sealed the deal for me and truly made me feel that dentistry was what I was meant to do.

Major:

Human Biology

About Me:

Why Dentistry:

Major:

Human Biology

About Me:

I am a fourth year at UC Merced from Fresno, CA. I recently became interested in Dentistry and being in Project Smile changed my life! They gave me the opportunity to help serve disadvantaged children in the highlands of Guatemala which exposed me to a whole new level of oral health inequality. I now consider myself a pre-dental student and look forward to changing the perception of dentistry.

Why Dentistry:

I was undeclared for the longest time and took into consideration of becoming a psychologist or a sociologist. However, after taking some psychology and sociology courses, I decided that I did not want to become either. Therefore, my search continued until one day I noticed that I watch a lot of teeth related videos on youtube. From there, my interest in dentistry manifested into love. The opportunity to go to Guatemala helped reassure me that dentistry will be full challenges yet the most emotionally rewarding career. Many stories about the distance that underserved community members would go to just to stop the pain of a cavity is devastating. My grandfather one of whom lived in a rural village suffered from a horrible cavity and endured the hammering of this tooth just to stop the pain. It's stories like these that encourages me to become a dentist.

Major:

Human Biology

About Me:

I am a second year at UC Merced. I am from Saratoga, CA. I am a health promoter within HEROES at UCM. In this internship, I help spread knowledge of health related topics to the student body to better their experiences as a college student. I am also a member of Tri Delta on campus. Our philanthropy is dedicated to St. Jude children's hospital. Through my involvement on campus, I strive to change people's lives, one at a time, because I know the impact it can have on an individual.

Why Dentistry:

Throughout high school, I always considered dentistry because I wanted to be in a health profession, but medical school appeared to be unappealing. I researched similar professions and found dentistry to be a considerable alternative. The summer prior to college, I traveled to LA to shadow my cousin, who is a dentist and teaches a clinic at UCLA, to be confident in my choice to commit to a pre-med track for the next 4 years. The experience solidified my desired career path in dentistry; thus, I am here today!

Major:

Human Biology

About Me:

I am from Santa Clara, California in the Bay Area. I enjoy anything music and dance related. I am currently a certified Music Therapist, and I sing to patients at a local hospital in Merced, California. I’ve been abroad to Guatemala to help assist with dental work on native children through the Global Dental Relief Program. I have also been shadowing several dentists (General and Pediatric Dentists) for 6 years now at the clinic in San Jose, St. James Dental.

Why Dentistry:

I always wanted to pursue a career related to health and sciences. My father is actually a general dentist, and I have been shadowing him along with other dentists ever since I was a little girl. My father would always pick me up from school and take me to his office and I would always catch myself running to his dental room and peeking at what he was doing behind the door. Of all the times I have shadowed my father and other dentists (General and Pediatric Dentists), I’ve never seen a patient leave with pain. Dentistry always fascinated me because I would always see people come into the clinic with an immense amount of pain, and then they would leave pain-free. I love helping people and helping people that are in pain; therefore, as a little girl when I would see people pain-free, I knew that this was the path for me. What ultimately defined my passion for dentistry was the Global Dental Relief trip that I went on to Guatemala. The experience was the most humbled and rewarding experience I have ever been apart of. Those children in Guatemala would come in with pain, and leave pain-free. It reminded me of when I was a little girl and how I felt when I saw people leaving the clinic happily. It is truly amazing how dentistry can be an art that transforms a smile, and it can also be a healer that vanishes pain.

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