ECU ASDA First Impression 7th Edition Spring 2021

Student Spotlight

Kennedi Class of 2021
Henry

Richmond County, NC

What has been your favorite part of dental What did you do before dental school?
school? I graduated from UNC-Pembroke with B.S. in
During the last four years I have had the opportuni- Chemistry. I also got married to my high school
ty to grow beside my amazing classmates, learn from sweetheart and spent time tutoring and doing re-
the best faculty, and treat some of the kindest pa- search.
tients that I have ever met. These, by far, have been
the best part of dental school! What advice would you give yourself on the
first day of dental school?
What has been your biggest challenge? Give yourself grace and be patient with yourself. Try
I think that the biggest challenge for me would be not to get discouraged when you make mistakes and
having the confidence that I can actually become take each failure as a learning experience.
a successful dentist. When I reflect on my 4th year
of dental school, I can see that my confidence has What are some hobbies/things you like to
increased. I know that I have still have a long way do in your free time?
to go, but I am excited to grow and become the best I love to bake, hangout with my husband and dogs,
dentist that I can be throughout my career. craft, and spend a lot of time outdoors!

What organizations have you been involved
in?
I have been a member of ASDA, AAWD, and ECU
AGD.

What’s your future goal with dentistry?
My ultimate goal is to practice dentistry in small
town similar to the town where I grew up (Hamlet,
NC). I desire to be a small town dentist so that I can
be active in my community and to know my patients
on a more personal level. I also aspire to pursue
AGD Mastership and to be involved in dental educa-
tion.

Spring 2021 FIRST IMPRESSION 51

Faculty Spotlight

Faculty Dr.

Moamen

Sheba
Where are you from and where did you receive What is one thing you enjoy about teaching?
your dental education? To me, the whole teaching process is enjoyable. However,
I am born and raised in Cairo, Egypt. I received my if I am to be more specific, I would say the interaction
Bachelor of Dental Sciences from Cairo University- with the students and seeing how they think and develop
School of Dental Medicine. over the years. This satisfies me a lot when I see students
I have worked with, finishing the program and being
What made you decide to become a dentist? independent in what they are doing.
Was there someone influential in the develop-
ment of your career? What is one thing you find challenging teach-
I grew up in a family of physicians who also works in ac- ing?
ademics. I always had the mindset of being in the health The main challenge I usually encounter when teaching
science field and to be able to help people with their is how much information is enough. In my opinion,
physical condition. My family is the biggest influential Science is endless and you can not cover every detail
factor over my decision to be a dentist. Since we have no about a topic you are teaching. We usually focus on the
dentists in the family and I like to see peoples’ smiles, I main concepts for the students to grasp. However, if the
decided to join the health science filed through being a students go read, they sometimes get confused which
dentist. requires further elaboration. I believe this is part of the
nature of science that we have to deal with!
What is something you struggled with as a stu-
dent? What do you hope to see happen or are excited
Dentistry as a profession requires a lot of hard work and about in the future of the dental field?
skills. I don’t want to call it a struggle, but as a student I have seen dentistry evolve tremendously in the last 10
it took me some additional time and effort to capture years and sometimes I close my eyes and imagine how
some of the skills I need to learn in dental school which it would be in another 10-15 years. Technology use and
I figured out is the normal variation in anything you do, newer innovations everyday gets me nervous sometimes
some students may pick things faster than others. but definitely excited and interested to see what the
future is holding for us.
What advice do you have for dental students or
to yourself as a dental student? What are some hobbies/things you like to do in
Dentistry is science and art as well. The artistic portion your free time?
in dentistry is big and this is where some students may I am an outdoor person, so in my free time I try to
get frustrated or disappointed including myself. However, be doing more outdoor activities like hiking, outdoor
it is a matter of time and practice until you get better on exercising, taking care of my garden, playing soccer and
the skills aspect, just make sure you absorb the science tennis and definitely playing with my 2 little ones.
portion adequately.

52 ECU ASDA Seventh Edition

Alumni Spotlight

Dr. Class of 2015

Amanda

Stroud What do you hope to see happen or are excited
Where are you from and how does it feel to be about in the future of the dental field?
part of the 10 year history of ECU - SoDM? More practitioners are offering non-invasive and minimally-
I grew up in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Happy Valley, NC. I invasive dental procedures. These procedures are allowing
am amazed and so proud we have already arrived at ten years more tooth structure to be preserved over a longer period of
of dental care from ECU students and alumni! time, helping patients overcome fears associated with dentistry,
and are helping practitioners reach out to more patients,
As one of the first Schweitzer Fellows at ECU, especially in non-office environments, such as schools and
how did that Fellowship prepare you for leader- migrant farms.
ship in dentistry and the communities?
My Schweitzer fellowship began friendships with people who What are some hobbies/things you like to do in your
continue to help change and shape dentistry across our state free time?
and guide me in my efforts in the process. It also opened my Our dental clinic has partnered with Gentry Farms in Ashe
eyes to grant-writing and how to gather resulting information County and we have a garden where I spend my free time. We
that is meaningful and presents a picture to others who want to plant and grow organic produce to give away to food-insecure
know about projects or investment opportunities. households across our district. I also volunteer with the NC
Dental Society, serving as the current NCDSF President, as
What advice do you have for dental students well as on several committees.
who are looking to make a positive and signifi-
cant impact in the community? As a dentist/leader on the frontlines of the
Get involved! There are so many opportunities to provide Covid-19, how did you go about handling and
care of all types and in all manners. Hands that are trained to navigating the pandemic?
provide dental care have so many other things to offer to our The pandemic allowed me to change “hats”, working with other
communities...you never know where dentistry may take you! members of our leadership team to reach out to our commu-
nity and to support our fellow medical professionals. I worked
What is AppHealthCare and what community on a team to reach out to our migrant farming population,
does it serve? gathering and distributing bilingual information, cleaning
AppHealthCare (also known as Appalachian District Health supplies, and much-needed PPE. I served as a co-contact
Department) is a local health department and FQHC in the person for emergency teams in our counties, worked at our
northwest corner of NC, serving our neighbors in Ashe, mass testing clinics and our mass vaccine clinics doing traffic
Watauga, and Alleghany counties. control, patient forms, testing, and even administering vaccine
thanks to recent rule changes.
What is one thing you have found to be
challenging in dentistry or community service?
The challenge I see every day is the struggle that my patients
have in choosing dental care options and treatments. So
often patients are forced to choose a less-desired or less-
recommended treatment option due to financial hardships.

Spring 2021 FIRST IMPRESSION 53

Class of 2024What did you enjoy so far in ECU dental school
and what advice do you have for incoming D1s?

Interview by Abby Callahan ’24 Aleasia Brown

“One of my favorite things about ECU dental
school so far is my awesome class. We all look
out for one another and there is never a feeling
of competition. I know I could go to anyone for
help if I needed it. It’s nice to know we are all
in the same boat and I have 51 other people to
lean on. Something else I love is having week-
ly exams. It allows me to have structure in my
schedule and it gives me a good gage of how far
along my studying is. For example, if Monday
roles around and I know I was feeling behind
at that point last week I can kick it up a notch.
That structure and schedule helps to ensure I am
never falling behind.”

Photograph Courtesy of “Some advice I would give to incoming D1’s is
Aleasia Brown that it’s so important to get comfortable with the
word “fail.” You will need to drop the negative
David Barrett connotation that comes along with it. If you fail
something, and everyone will at some point, you
“The best thing so far about ECU SoDM are going to have the opportunity to revisit it
is the family aspect. My classmates and I and if anything you are going to become better
all support each other and want to see each at that specific thing from having extra practice
other succeed and be the best future den- and feedback. When you fail, you need to learn
tists that we can. We also have an amazing to adjust and use that information to grow as a
personal relationship with our faculty. You future provider.”
don’t feel like you ever have to compete for
time with them and they are always willing
to help no matter what they are doing.”

“My biggest piece of advice for incoming Photograph Courtesy of
students would be to make the most of your David Barrett
summer because when August comes around
you’re going to go through the gauntlet, so Seventh Edition
take advantage of your free time while you
can. I’d also advise them to remember to not
let the small things worry you because if you
do they will continue to build up and it will
eventually backfire.”

54 ECU ASDA

Photograph Courtesy of Class Spotlight
Saeed Karimipour
Saeed Karimipour

“My favorite part has been the amount of time we get to spend in
the lab. Going into dental school I didn’t realize how much time
we would spend in lecture, which is definitely not my favorite part,
but luckily they balance it out with how much lab time we get. It
has allowed me to feel less like an undergrad student and more like
a real dental student.”

“Some advice I’d give to incoming students is to listen when they
say that you will have to restructure the way that you study. At first
I thought the way that I studied was just fine, but I learned that was
not the case and I had to quickly adjust my habits to fit the fast
paced curriculum. I had to learn how to better manage my time
because I know it takes me longer to study than some of my class-
mates. I need to go over the material a ton and really commit it to
memory. I have found it helpful to make Anki flashcards during
the lecture and review them the same day. I suggest finding a good
study schedule that includes break days for each week and sticking
to that as best you can. Spreading out your studying and taking
each day as it comes will allow you to stay on top of everything
and not get too swamped.”

Brianna Smith Photograph Courtesy of
Brianna Smith
“I love the class that ECU selected for 2024. I feel like we always
operate as a family and nobody is ever trying to one up each other. I FIRST IMPRESSION 55
have also had the opportunity to find that support in the clubs and or-
ganizations that I am a part of. Being able to meet people outside my
class that have been through D1 year already, I know I always have
someone to go to for advice when I am struggling. I am so lucky to
have found such a good support system within the school. I also like
how much hands-on time we get in the lab. They want to make sure
we are staying on top of everything and not losing any hand skills.
Having lots of skills exercises and a mock skills assessment prior
to our actual skills assessment allows us to get lots of feedback and
really perfect what we are doing.”

“My biggest piece of advice to anyone starting dental school is you
can’t pour from an empty cup. D1 year is tedious and very tiring at
times and if you don’t give yourself time to recharge you will get
burnt out very quickly. Make sure you take time for yourself through-
out the week so that you are able to show up to class each day and
put your best foot forward. Self care is often taken for granted, but an
essential part of a stressful schedule. It may be difficult at first, but
when you do find that balance between work, rest and play it will be
a big game changer.”

Spring 2021

Class of 2023 Class of 2023 Pledge Committee
(left to right) Geremy Medlock, Preston Wilson, Rebecca Agner, Ben Eaker,
Octavia Miller, Dalas Young, Cody Phen, Ricky Ghai, William Ferrell

What does your White Coat mean Seventh Edition
to you?

"Receiving the white coat signifies that
we transitioned from students to student
doctors. I looking forward to using my
knowledge and skills obtained over the
past two year to help those that I will
serve in the dental clinic."

Anna O’Brien

"To me, wearing my white coat reminds
me of all the work I have already put in
and all the work that is yet to be done.
By wearing my white coat, I assume
many responsibilities to my patients,
fellow students, faculty, and the profes-
sion as a whole. I am so excited to be a
D3 and start using my knowledge and
skills in clinic!"

Rachel Downs

56 ECU ASDA

Class Spotlight

Photograph Courtesy of Haleigh Bass What does your
Photograph Courtesy of Christian Penister White Coat mean to
you?

What does your White Coat mean to you? "White Coat to me
means sacrifice. Sac-
"Receiving my white coat was a huge milestone to be- rifice that I have made
coming a dentist. There has been a lot of hard work and throughout my entire
determination put in to get to this point, and I couldn’t be life since I can remem-
prouder of my classmates and myself for what we have ber. This white coat
overcome to get here. Not only does it represent the work signifies relationship.
we have completed but our future- our relationships with It took a lot of people
patients. Transitioning into clinic and being able to help pushing me and believ-
those in need is what I am most excited to experience ing in my dream to rem-
during my D3 year." edy what I witnessed
as a child in my com-
munity with a shortage
of dentist. White coat
signifies dedication and hard work. This coat rep-
resents new beginnings for a first-generation doctor
for generations following me."

Christian Penister

Haleigh Bass

Photograph Courtesy of Photograph Courtesy of
Trandon Jefferson Octavia Miller

Spring 2021 "The white coat means that you are quali-
fied and committed to take on the respon-
sibility of promoting oral health inside and
out of a dental chair."

Octavia Miller

FIRST IMPRESSION 57

of 2022Photograph Courtesy of What did you learn in D3 year (either personally or pro-
Brittanie Height ‘22 fessionally)?

To take everything in stride and that if you strive to always do what’s
best for the patient things will ultimately work out for the best.

What are you most excited about rotating out to the
CSLCs?

Building clinical efficiency and honing my clinical decision making
ability.

Brittanie Height

Photograph Courtesy of Photograph Courtesy of
Eugene Adei Scarlett Walston

What did you learn in D3 year (either personally
or professionally)?

D3 year was definitely not what I expected due to the

What did you learn in D3 year (either personal- COVID-19 pandemic. However, it pushed me far past my
comfort zone. I learned the importance of creating genuine
ly or professionally)?
relationships with your patients and ensuring that you are

D3 has been a great learning experience for me through both on the same page for treatment. Additionally, through
Classmy faculty and patient interactions. I strive to create a faculty guidance, outside practice, and clinic experi-
meaningful experience with all my patients- I try to be ence, my hand skills and efficiency in clinic have greatly
dynamic in my approach when I encounter any diffi- improved. I also feel more adept at properly treatment
culties in clinic. One of my favorite sayings is “do not planning and identifying problems. I also “re-learned”,
go where the path may lead, go where there’s no path so to say, that there is nothing wrong with asking for help
and leave a trail”- that is my motivation in clinic at all sometimes. We are all students and should be taking any
opportunity we can to learn. We have incredible faculty
times.
here at ECU SoDM, and it is in our best interest to take

What are you most excited about rotating out advantage of that by continually seeking their expertise.

to the CSLCs? What are you most excited about rotating out to

In my CSLCs rotations, I am most excited about the the CSLCs?

opportunity to learn from different faculty members.
Dentistry is dynamic- I enjoy seeing different approach I am so excited for the CSLC rotations. I feel that each
to dental treatments and being able to add to my skill center offers a unique experience and will be a great op-
portunity to interact with new faculty, residents, assistants,
set. I have no doubt that I will be an exemplary and
well diverse dentist through my training at ECU School and staff. Additionally, I know that this environment will
further enhance my education as well as allow me to con-
of Dental Medicine.
tinually improve on my skills as I approach earning my

Eugene Adei DMD degree. I can’t wait to see which centers I rotate to,
and I am looking forward to starting at Ahoskie in June!

Scarlett Walston

58 ECU ASDA Seventh Edition

Class Spotlight

Congratulations to the ECU SoDM Class of 2021 on graduating Class of 2021
dental school! Wishing you all the best in your careers, dental

journey, and all the adventures that life will take you.

What are you most looking forward to
or excited about after graduation?

Reflecting on my journey as a D1 student to
now preparing to graduate, I am most ex-
cited to move forward in the profession and
to continue to gain valuable experience and
lessons. Starting a hospital residency will be
an interesting transition. At the same time, I
will be able to represent ECU SoDM and take
what I have learned into a new environment
of interprofessional practice.

Photograph Courtesy of James rudolph parker, jr
James Rudolph Parker, Jr

What are you most looking forward to or
excited about after graduation?

I am so excited to start my AEGD residency pro-
gram here at ECU! I can’t wait to spend the next
year learning more about dentistry and working
on complex cases.

Kennedi LeeAnne-Stewart Henry

Photograph Courtesy of Photograph Courtesy of
Spring 2021 Vivian Nguyen Kennedi Henry

What are you most looking forward
to or excited about after gradua-
tion?

After graduation, I’m mostly looking for-
ward to leaving the old stomping grounds
of Greenville, NC and starting a new life in
a new city! This is such an exciting time! I
can’t wait to apply what I’ve learned to diag-
nose and treat my very own patients!

Vivian Nguyen

FIRST IMPRESSION 59

Greenville

Around the City

Whether you are looking for a quiet place to study or somewhere to unwind after
a long day, Greenville is full of great spots. Here are some of our ASDA class
representatives’ favorite places around town.

Interview with ASDA Class Reps by Abby Callahan

60 ECU ASDA Photograph by Cody Phen ‘23
Seventh Edition

Omar Taha ‘ 24
What are your favorite study spots?

Joyner Library Dry-erase board wall room: If you’re a big dry-erase board person like I am oc-
casionally, you’ll really enjoy this spot. These select rooms in Joyner library have an entire wall
made out of dry-erase board, so you essentially never run out of space! This spot is in the library
on main campus and can be reserved ahead of time on the ECU Joyner library website.

Blackbeard’s Coffee: This coffee shop can be a bit busy sometimes, but if you aren’t distracted by
the ebb and flow of customers, this place can be an excellent study spot for you! Plus the coffee
and tea they have is phenomenal, which never hurts too.

Rebecca Agner ‘23

When friends and family come to visit, what’s your go to place to
take them?

One of my favorite places in Greenville to bring family/friends is River Park
North. I love being around nature, and going on walks there is the perfect opportu-
nity to chat with people while also being in a beautiful environment.

Shaily Aghera ‘22

Where is your favorite place to go to unwind after being in clinic?

Firefly wine shop would have a free wine tasting once a week, so a couple of my
classmates and I would go and have a girls night. It was a fun way to catch up and
relax after a long week!

Amir Taha ‘21

When you came back to Greenville after being at the CSLCs, what
was the one place you were looking forward to going to?

One place I always looked forward to was my grandmother’s house. Her house
is like the family headquarters. If you’re there long enough you will probably see
everyone in the family pass by. Also, there is always food!

Probing Question: If you could have any
celebrity as your dental assistant, who
would it be?
Ijay Akhimien (2021): Kevin Hart
Rachel Porter (2022): Serena Williams
Mackenzie Austin (2023): Mohammad Ali
John Winslow (2024): Dave Chapelle

FIRST IMPRESSION 61
Just for Laughs

Comic by Cody Phen ‘23

Spring 2021

Thank You

American Dental Student Association

FIRST

IMPRESSION
Spring 2021, Seventh Edition

First Impression is the premiere Newsletter of the ECU Chapter of the American Dental Student Association and reports
on current dental trends, daily student life, and all the amazing happenings around the School of Dental Medicine.

@ecuasda @ecuasda ecuasda.org

Contributors Dean Gregory Chadwick Luz Lopez
Dr. Margaret Wilson Taylor Davenport
Dr. Hanan Elgendy Morgan Phillips
Dr. Moamen Sheba Courtney Williams
Dr. Amanda Stroud Fiondra Baldwin
Dr. Ford Grant Kari Wordsworth
Ms. Beth Simpson
Mr. Jon Jones Richa Vyas
Mr. Tarrick Cox Octavia Miller
Ms. Carolyn Kleffman Geremy Medlock
Victoria Hardy
Abigail Callahan Sahil Vasa
Ricky Ghai Rachel Downs
Will Grine Anna O'Brien
Brittanie Height Haleigh Bass
Scarlett Walston McKenzie Blackwell
Yifei Wu Trandon Jefferson
Jasmine Boota Mackenzie Austin
Bradley Schmidt Christian Penister
Roa Saleh Rebecca Agner
Dalia Nashed Rachel Cantrell
Aleasia Brown Eugene Adei
David Barrett Lee Dickinson
Saeed Karimipour Shaily Aghera
John Winslow Rachel Porter
Brianna Smith Vivian Nguyen
Omar Taha James Rudolph Parker, Jr
Raul Garcia Kennedi Henry
Ijay Akhimien

Amir Taha

A sincere Thank You to everyone that contributed Enjoyed the Newsletter? Interested in contributing to
to help make this Newsletter the best one yet! our next edition, sharing your story, or being part of the

A very special thank you to Mr. Jon Jones for ECU - SoDM Legacy?
photographs and editing.
Please email Cody Phen at [email protected]
Graphic by Cody Phen ‘23
Thanks!
62 ECU ASDA
Seventh Edition

3 months, 689 photos, 7 editorial members, 56 contributors, a bajillion emails, countless hours of editing and
design, lots of sweat, and a couple of tears...That's what it took to create this absolutley wonderful Special Edition
of the Newsletter. Together, we made a great First Impression! :)
As you can see, the number of contributors from the previous page reflects the people of our school and the
diversity that makes us stronger. Every person is special and unique in their own way. The areas in where we lack
are made up and supported by our friends, family, and colleagues. The seas have been quite rough this past year,
but we are finally able to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
There is no Pirate Nation without the people.
I want to thank everyone who directly and indirectly contributed and helped with creating this amazing publication.
You’re awesome! My hope is that we can use this to spread positivity, foster an environment of kindness and
collaboration, and inspire others to create change in our community. We're only getting started. So here's to
another 10 years!
I hope you enjoyed reading this Newsletter as much as the First Impression Team enjoyed making it!
Til the next one! Aaargh!!!
Cody C. Phen
Class of 2023
ECU ASDA First Impression
Editor-in-Chief