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Hometown:
St. Martinville, High School: St. Martinville Sr. High School
Activities: National Beta
member, Student Council representative
Undergraduate Major: Biological
Sciences with a concentration in Microbiology
Scholarships/Awards:
Honors College Scholarship
Dean's List (4 years)
TOPS
Biology Department Scholarship
Academic Scholarship to Baylor College of Dentistry
Undergraduate Activities:
Member of Notre Dame
Catholic Church
Vice President of Beta Psi Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.
National Student Representative
of National Institute of Science
MAPPS member
Beta Kappa Chi National Honor Society
Summer
Activities:
The summer prior to my sophmore
year, I worked as a wildlife biologist for the United States Department of Agriculture...........Great experience, not to
mention financial aid! The next summer, I was afforded a rewarding opportunity to work under the mentorship of
the Dr. Bryan Lewis, PhD. During this summer, I was able to gain research experience while working on an abstract,
entitled: The Susceptibility of Pseudomonas aeruginosa to antimicrobial agents. My third and final
summer before my collegiate journey would end, I attended a Summer Enrichment program at the one and only, Baylor College
of Dentisty, the school which would soon become my second home!
What
I would tell a pre-dent student:
My motto is diligence! Poor grades are not always
a true reflection of how intelligent a person is. I say this because lots of students are quick to become discouraged
for whatever reason. Despite this, if one stays focused, their hard work will manifest in the end. Another thing
to keep in mind........... Preparation means success. Please, please, please, do not procrastinate (like i sometimes
do, just a little secret between you and me). Do your research ahead of time so that you can adequately plan.
This will allow you to have more options to reach your ultimate goal, that would be to soon be called Dr. Whoever (not that
I'm bragging, smile).
How many schools I applied to:
I
applied to Baylor only, which wasn't the smartest choice. However, I was blessed enough to be one of the chosen few
to attend.
Why I chose to only apply here:
I applied while I was attending the summer program at Baylor. I only applied here because it was my number one choice.
If you were not aware, Baylor is ranked in the top five dental schools in the nation. Baylor has great research opportunities,
also. LSU was my second choice. Although LSU is a great school, I was much more impressed by Baylor's faculty,
facilities, and learning environment.
The classes that I am glad I took were:
Microbiology
Microbial Genetics
Biochemistry I and II
General Chemistry
Classes that I wish I had taken were:
Human Anatomy and Physiology
Embryology
Histology
My first semester in dental school can be described as :
The realization for
an appreciation of LIFE!!! My first semester is indescribable. Sleep Deprivation, Starvation, Halucinations, just
to name a few! All jokes aside, my first semester was a huge adjustment for me. One's first semester requires
dedication, lots of diligence, and maturity. I worked extremely hard, got discouraged a few times, but in the end, it
pays off. In the beginning, I felt that it was like Involuntary Suicide, but now that its over, I reflect back and realize
that it wasn't half as bad as I thought it would be. I met great people (who I'm now stuck with for 4 years, just kidding),
and I now have an appreciation for things that I once took for granted: sleep, mama's home cooking, sleep, and sleep!!!!!!
Biggest Adjustment for me:
Being away from family!!!!!
Study skills that I believe should be developed in undergrad are:
Some of us choose to study one way in particular, and that 's the end of the story. However, being in dental school
requires you to have an ability to learn in more ways than one. Whether you are a visual learner, or a hand-on type
of person, you should make efforts to utilize any method of learning that is available.
The advice I would
give someone who is wondering how to best prepare for dental school is:
One thing that I feel that is very
important is Pre-dental summer programs. This will put you ahead of the game. You will have a better understanding
of the profession that you are interested in. Also, take as many classes that are relevant to health professions (Biological
sciences, Chemistry courses, Pre-dental courses). This will aid you when you have to take courses at your chosen school.
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