Two hands hold my face. Hands covered with calluses and bruises, tough-looking from years of working with the land. Hands that are not indicative of a glamorous lifestyle but are a testament to sacrifice and perseverance. Those hands belong to my parents, and they also belong to thousands of farm workers in the United States; a community that is dear to my heart and is my primary motivation for pursuing dentistry. Growing up in a rural community that lacks diversity led me to decide, early on, that I would have to suppress my background and culture, out of fear that I would be deemed “unworthy” of success or my goals. As a first-generation American, my role in my community has been to listen. I have listened for years to stories of misfortune, endurance, and exhaustion. I have heard stories that indicated a dental visit was only necessary in painful circumstances. The saddest stories were those that included receiving treatment without any sort of explanation. It was listening to a family friend continue to question, years later, why an extraction had been deemed necessary. Thirteen-year-old Joselynn viewed dentistry as an opportunity to stand out, but present time me is glad she took the time to listen. During high school and early college, I became heavily involved with my community, specifically other youth. I realized that many Latino/a teenagers had great potential, yet lacked the confidence and guidance to achieve their goals. This realization added fuel to my desire to pursue dentistry. Up to that point, dentistry was a route for distinguishing myself from every other Hispanic in my community, a way to receive admiration. Suddenly, I understood that my people desired growth as much as I did. My undergraduate experience permitted me to further grasp the need for a diverse dental provider. The summer after my freshman year of college, I shadowed a dentist, Dr. Leon, working in a community dental clinic in Seattle, Washington. Dr. Leon is originally from California, is Hispanic, and bilingual. Dr. Leon took care of his patients incredibly well, continually reminded them to express their concerns, and later revealed to me that his Hispanic patients were often accustomed to simply accepting treatment and thus were surprised with the possibility of comfortably communicating with their provider. I realized that dentistry demands active listening and care in order to have a long-lasting impact, not only on the individual level but at a community-level. My first year of dental school opened my eyes to a lot of realizations. Entering a field that still lacks Hispanic representation makes the journey a bit lonely for students from my background. Although my undergraduate experience allowed me to thrive and develop new skills, I am still learning to be comfortable with unleashing those skills in the dental education environment. I desire to give myself some grace though, because I remind myself of the “why” that started it all. This mindset reminds me that I am not learning for the sake of a grade or rank, but rather to have the ability to deliver something excellent to my future patients. I strive to be intentional, with the hopes of developing into a professional that builds an excellent clinic but also a welcoming culture that fosters growth. I believe that this mindest of innovation and hope comes from my background and the values I have developed through the hardships my family has endured.

Two hands hold my face. Hands covered with calluses and bruises, tough-looking from years of working with the land. Hands that are not indicative of a glamorous lifestyle but are a testament to sacrifice and perseverance. Those hands belong to my parents, and they also belong to thousands of farm workers in the United States; a community that is dear to my heart and is my primary motivation for pursuing dentistry. Growing up in a rural community that lacks diversity led me to decide, early on, that I would have to suppress my background and culture, out of fear that I would be deemed “unworthy” of success or my goals. As a first-generation American, my role in my community has been to listen. I have listened for years to stories of misfortune, endurance, and exhaustion. I have heard stories that indicated a dental visit was only necessary in painful circumstances. The saddest stories were those that included receiving treatment without any sort of explanation. It was listening to a family friend continue to question, years later, why an extraction had been deemed necessary. Thirteen-year-old Joselynn viewed dentistry as an opportunity to stand out, but present time me is glad she took the time to listen. During high school and early college, I became heavily involved with my community, specifically other youth. I realized that many Latino/a teenagers had great potential, yet lacked the confidence and guidance to achieve their goals. This realization added fuel to my desire to pursue dentistry. Up to that point, dentistry was a route for distinguishing myself from every other Hispanic in my community, a way to receive admiration. Suddenly, I understood that my people desired growth as much as I did. My undergraduate experience permitted me to further grasp the need for a diverse dental provider. The summer after my freshman year of college, I shadowed a dentist, Dr. Leon, working in a community dental clinic in Seattle, Washington. Dr. Leon is originally from California, is Hispanic, and is bilingual. Dr. Leon took care of his patients incredibly well, continually reminded them to express their concerns, and later revealed to me that his Hispanic patients were often accustomed to simply accepting treatment and thus were surprised with the possibility of comfortably communicating with their providers. I realized that dentistry demands active listening and care in order to have a long-lasting impact, not only on the individual level but at the community level. My first year of dental school opened my eyes to a lot of realizations. Entering a field that still lacks Hispanic representation makes the journey a bit lonely for students from my background. Although my undergraduate experience allowed me to thrive and develop new skills, I am still learning to be comfortable with unleashing those skills in the dental education environment. I desire to give myself some grace though, because I remind myself of the “why” that started it all. This mindset reminds me that I am not learning for the sake of a grade or rank, but rather to have the ability to deliver something excellent to my future patients. Every class is bringing me closer to the unique professional mission I have set for myself; to be a provider of dental treatment but also knowledge. Knowledge that is benefitting a community both in terms of dentistry and also in terms of understanding their environment and opportunities better. I strive to be intentional, with the hopes of developing into a professional that builds an excellent clinic but also a welcoming culture that fosters growth.