Some of the most defining moments in our lives start as a simple conversations. For me, it began in my childhood, growing up in Colorado Springs, Colorado; a military town surrounded by the hum of jets overhead, the discipline of soldiers in uniform, and the quiet pride of communities rooted in service. With landmarks like the Air Force Academy, Fort Carson, and NORAD nearby, I was raised in a city that honored sacrifice. That environment shaped me early on. I saw service not as a distant ideal, but as something personal; something tangible.
Then came September 11, 2001. I remember exactly where I was when the towers fell, and I remember how it made me feel, confused, heartbroken, and deeply aware of my responsibility as an American. That moment didn’t just awaken a sense of patriotism. It planted a seed; a realization that one day, I would serve.
At that time I was a junior in high school and I was already having serious conversations with my parents about joining the military. I had every intention of enlisting after graduation, but out of respect for my mother’s request, I agreed to attend at least one year of college first. That one year became several and took me down an unexpected path towards business, science, healthcare and dentistry. But even as I kept my promise, the desire to serve never left me.
It was my third year of dental school when the opportunity presented itself in a way that felt right. I discovered the Medical and Dental Student Stipend Program (MDSSP) through the Tennessee Army National Guard. The timing couldn’t have been better. With the rising costs of tuition combined with the increasing living expenses in Nashville; it was becoming more difficult to manage. The MDSSP offered financial support, yes, but more than that, it gave me a chance to finally fulfill a promise I made to myself years ago. In June of 2015, I commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Tennessee Army National Guard.
What followed was one of the most transformative experiences of my life. Serving one weekend a month allowed me to remain focused on my clinical training, while giving me exposure to a highly collaborative military medical environment. I worked alongside dentists, physicians, audiologists, optometrists, behavioral health specialists, and nurses in a multidisciplinary team that reminded me that true healthcare doesn’t happen in a silo. It happens when everyone works together with the same mission in mind.
In 2017, I took a brief pause from my general practice residency to complete the Basic Officer Leader Course (BOLC) at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas. For six weeks, I traded my scrubs for combat boots. I trained in land navigation, field exercises, medical evacuation drills, and weapons qualification. It was the first time I truly felt like a soldier; not just a dentist in uniform. I stood shoulder to shoulder with other soldiers from across the country, all of us learning to lead under pressure, to serve without excuses, and to trust one another completely.
As a dental officer, my duties extended well beyond the clinic. I was responsible for evaluating the oral health readiness of our soldiers to ensure they were deployable & prepared for their missions. I educated troops on oral hygiene, tobacco cessation, and caries prevention, as well as helped them understand the connection between oral health and total wellness. These tasks may seem simple on the surface, but in the context of military readiness, they are essential. A soldier in pain can not perform. A preventable dental infection can compromise an entire mission.
My time in the Army National Guard has been nothing short of humbling. It deepened my sense of duty, strengthened my ability to lead, and broadened my perspective as a healthcare provider. I learned that service takes many forms. Sometimes it’s standing on a field in uniform. Sometimes it’s sitting across from a soldier and helping them through dental pain. And sometimes it’s simply being present—showing up with integrity and compassion, no matter the circumstance.
My journey may not have followed the traditional military path, but it has been profoundly meaningful. It reminded me that we all have something to give and that when we give it in service to others, we become part of something far greater than ourselves.
It has been an honor to wear the uniform. To stand not only as a healthcare provider, but as a soldier committed to preserving the freedoms we too often take for granted.