Veterans & Family Scholarship

My training in the Marine Corp gave me the confidence, discipline, and leadership skills to achieve any goal I set my mind to. Learning the importance of working as a team and trusting the members in your unit was an invaluable lesson I apply today. Over the past 5 years, I have worked with Black Girls Smile, the Red Shoe Society and volunteered at Volunteer Gwinnett to help my communities. Additionally, I was the first freshman president of the Pre-Dental Society at Georgia Gwinnett College. I’ve also been the president for the last two years. I make sure to pay attention to what the students need and want to learn about dentistry. My life now is full of so much joy with helping other students discover their love of dentistry. Every month I have arranged for my office to allow me to bring students in to see different procedures from hygiene to full mouth extractions. Also, as the President I get to help students find new and exciting ways to give back to the community. After finishing a 4-year program at a dental school and getting my footing as a new dentist I then plan to work in a shortage area and I plan to change that. I want to visit and help as many areas as I can. Due to there not being many African-American dentists in those areas. Being able to help others see a person who looks like them will prove comfort in a dental office. This will allow more people to have less fear of the dentist and give me a chance to educate them on the importance of dental health. I know one day this will make me an amazing contributor to the dental field. I hope you don’t just see another application, but a person that cares for others. A person who has found their purpose in life and wants to use it to make the world better. I know so people may think there is no way you can do that by just being a dentist. Those same people would probably also say there is no way you can work, be a mother, a wife, and go to school. As I have proven this second statement to be correct I will do the same with the first. I hope this has given you some insight into my journey and my planned future. Thank you for your time.

My journey toward becoming a veterinarian is not merely a career pursuit; it is deeply rooted in my early experiences and fueled by an unwavering passion for healing animals. Growing up in Kalispell, Montana, I was introduced to the world of veterinary medicine at a tender age, a world that became my sanctuary amid the challenges of my upbringing. At seven years old, living on the reservation with my parents, we navigated a life neither wealthy nor poor. Despite the turmoil caused by my father's struggles with alcoholism and the aggressively abusive environment at home, a pivotal moment on my seventh birthday illuminated a path that would shape my future. My father, absent for months, returned with a gift — a pink toy medical set. This seemingly simple gift ignited a flame within me, sparking an early fascination with the medical care of animals. Lacking regular veterinary care for our horses, dogs, and cats due to financial constraints, I improvised, using my toy medical set to tend to our animals. My stethoscope, though nonfunctional, became a tool for listening to imaginary heartbeats, and my toy thermometer found its way into the mouths of our pets, all driven by an innate desire to care for them. This childhood experience planted the seed of my dream to become a veterinarian. As the years unfolded, I faced numerous challenges. Working as a veterinary assistant while juggling two other jobs during high school, I struggled with academics but persevered by doubling up on classes, participating in sports, and graduating early. Realizing that education held the key to providing a better life for my family led me to enlist in the U.S. Army as a combat medic at 19, with the promise of a free college education. While actively serving, I pursued my degree at American Military University, the sole institution that accommodated my rigorous schedule and commitment to duty. The natural sciences sparked an interest in me, and I relished every moment of my learning experience. Deploying to Iraq in 2022 as a medical sergeant and platoon leader, I found myself working side by side with a veterinarian and a physician assistant, tending to both human and animal lives during emergency surgeries and providing quality-of-life care to animals in and around local villages. Amidst the intensity of a patrol in enemy territory, I sustained major shrapnel wounds that marked a turning point in my life. Medically airlifted to the U.S., I spent a month recovering, grappling not only with physical wounds but also with the invisible scars of PTSD. In the subsequent time, as I wrestled with recovery and PTSD, I found solace in caring for animals. Volunteering at shelters, zoos, and wildlife rehabilitation programs became a therapeutic outlet. Being medically discharged in July 2024, I redirected my focus toward my ultimate goal — becoming a Veterinarian. My journey is more than a sequence of events; it's a testament to resilience, determination, and an unwavering commitment to a childhood dream.