From Chief Dental Officer to Professor of Dentristry

Lindsey Wilson made a profound impact on my life. As a first-generation college student from small town Kentucky, I didn't really know what to expect in college. During my senior year of high school, I started applying to colleges hopeful but knew a small Christian college would have been the best option for me. My admissions counselor for LWC recommended for me to attend Begley Scholars Day in 2002 and I immediately fell in love with the campus and people. All of my other options were large public schools in the state but none of them felt as much like home than the picturesque Columbia campus. I remember praying for a sign whether or not I was supposed to attend LWC following that day. That sign came through when President Luckey called me saying I had been selected as a Begley Scholar. It was transformative for not only me but for my family.

I considered myself a shy individual when I stepped foot onto campus as a freshman. Throughout the next four years I would visit cities I never imagined I would get to visit as part of school trips, took on leadership roles I would have never attempted at a larger college, and pushed myself harder to grow as an individual than I had ever expected. At Lindsey, I was deeply ingrained in the college-community and I had numerous individuals pour into my development. That shy boy from Muhlenberg County began to develop into a person that knew I could excel at the highest level. It was while I was at LWC that I began to believe that a graduate medical degree was a possibility.

After graduating from LWC, I was accepted into both of our esteemed state dental schools and matriculated to the University of Kentucky College of Dentistry. The skills I developed at Lindsey Wilson allowed me to excel there and serve as my dental school class vice president each of my four years, and it eventually translated into becoming the Chief Dental Officer for the second largest federally qualified health center in Texas for five years. I then decided to return back to my home state, and I spent nearly three years in private practice before the love of education brought me to the University of Louisville School of Dentistry. It was the understanding of how deeply a college experience could positively influence a person's life that resulted in my appointment as an Assistant Professor of Comprehensive Dentistry.

I firmly believe that my success in life is directly related to the four years I spent at Lindsey Wilson College. I believe I became the absolute best version of myself due to the influence of so many people at Lindsey Wilson College. President Luckey, Dr. Chafin, Dr. Melissa Clauson, and so many others will forever hold a special place in my heart for the integral role they played in my development.