ORTHODONTIST, entrepreneurs, life coach & FRIEND

Sit at the table

w/ Dr. Tera

Say Hello!

FIANCE to my best friend  
NETFLIX BINGER 
TOOTH STRAIGHTENER
Fitness addict

The Why

Behind the woman you see are 10+ years of navigating spaces that weren’t built for people like me — but despite doing everything in my power to make myself appear more “credible,” I realized I never felt 100% welcome. I had to learn not only how to survive but also how to thrive.

Whether it was straightening my hair in order to not check too many boxes of “she’s not like us” or literally wearing a T-shirt that specifically states “Nah, I’m the doctor,” being a minority woman in higher education, broke…a…girl…down.

To continue that- there was a long period of time I was set on standing out. Rewind to circa 2012, energetic and fresh-faced as I entered dental school but as the years progressed I slowly shifted. Eventually, I became downright exhausted with looking around rooms to find yet again I’m the only one and the subconscious pressure/stress it causes. All in all, it took me almost 10 years to realize the effects on my own mental health and wellbeing.

Effects of which were tangible:

being perceived as less capable, allowing fear in and not having a community.

I became an orthodontist to help build and instill confidence in young adults via their appearance, which I’m grateful to be able to do; however, I quickly realized that my impact didn’t reach outside the walls of the clinic. I learned that we are shaped by life, both the good and bad experiences are there to teach us something about ourselves and if we look closely at those while being honest with ourselves, we can determine what our purpose is.