When I look back into my past, I see the undeniable impact that culture has guided every step of my life and shaped me into the person I am today. In my hometown in South Florida, diversity is the norm. With my salsa-loving Thai mother, my favorite music teacher proudly repping St. Croix, my best friends coming from all parts of South America, and tikka masala from my Thai family's local Indian restaurant being a regular favorite for takeout, I never questioned ways of life different from my own; they were simply a natural part of the world around me. It was only until leaving my hometown and entering college that I realized not all people had this privilege of being exposed to and shaped by so many different perspectives. This awareness created a deeper appreciation of my own upbringing and a commitment to instilling diversity in whatever environment I found myself in, thus inspiring my decision to join the International Scholars Program.

 

My desire for human connection through culture has clearly manifested itself in my extracurricular activities. In my time volunteering as a Conversation Partner at the UF English Language Institute, I’ve had the privilege of conversing with foreign students to increase their linguistic and cultural fluency and, in the process, getting to meet incredible individuals whom I now hold close to my heart. The lines between student and coach melded together, and I found myself being as much of a student as they were, learning about Saudi Arabian holidays, Bolivian slang, and differences in dental education from a Venezuelan dentist. I’ve since sought to exchange language and culture to connect with all the people  I know that openness to different perspectives makes me a better future dentist, able to overcome bias and properly serve a diverse patient population.

 

Courses such as Intercultural Communication, Spanish Virtual Tourism and my Internship in Spanish gave me the skills that I continue to apply in my life. For instance, I find that the fundamental aspect of cultural relativism, which I learned about in Intercultural Communication, guides my day-to-day conversations and judgements. I now understand that norms and values of one culture should not be evaluated using the norms and values of another, and thus always seek to learn and understand others’ perspectives, no matter how “peculiar” they may naturally appear at first glance. I see the “uncomfortable” as an opportunity to learn and better my own culture. 

 

In study of the Spanish language as a Spanish minor, I’ve been able to hone my Spanish language skills as I work and learn the important specific terminology I’ll utilize often in my future career as a dentist. One great example of this was my role during the free health screening event I helped organize as a Health Education intern with Children Beyond Our Borders. There, I was able to practice my speaking skills at my station, where I talked to children waiting for their appointments and for their parents to finish their appointments. At my station, I taught them healthy brushing habits and foods to eat or avoid for good oral hygiene. I also read aloud my children’s book “Quatro de las Estrellas” and we had discussions about the morals of the story, and ways that they can spread love in their daily lives. It was an amazing event, and the connections I made and overall experience I had would not have been the same had I not been able to speak Spanish.

 

Many people ask me how my studies in Spanish and culture complement my future aspirations in the field of dentistry. To me, the connection couldn’t be more clear. I love dentistry for the way it serves as a vessel for fostering deep connections with others and helping them build the confidence to express themselves. Even while just shadowing as a pre-dental student, not even as a practicing dentist, I’ve shared so many valuable, intimate conversations with patients. Whether it be because of the difficulty eating, breathing, talking, or simply looking in the mirror, all have stated in some way how their lives would change if only they had confidence in a bright, beautiful smile. Dentistry is more than just a physical or aesthetic treatment– it is truly the gateway to overall wellbeing and language.

 

In the future, I hope to become a general dentist and provide free dental care to the uninsured and underserved, especially those within immigrant populations. Whether I make that happen by traveling the world with my toolbox of dental instruments or by opening up a free clinic back home in the South Florida “melting pot,” it is my dream to continue learning languages, exchanging stories and knowledge with people of different walks of life, and showing others the ways their life can change by doing the same.