​While no Birmingham native would deny the great food options we have here, it is always fun to try out the tastes and flavors of a new culture. When asked what Jordan’s favorite part of traveling is, he said “Definitely the food. The weirdest thing I’ve ever eaten was a fried scorpion in Beijing.” Not saying you have to try a scorpion any time soon, but it’s always a great idea to jump out of your comfort zone and try new foods you may not think you like.

Jordan has many great memories of trips with just his dad but he says his favorite memory of traveling was his study abroad trip to New Zealand and Australia. According to Jordan, “when you spend a couple of months in a country rather than a couple of days it changes everything.” Study abroad trips are becoming more and more popular for undergraduate students, especially for those who have a big interest in expanding their knowledge on an international level. Plus, it’s a great excuse to get out of the country and have a little fun!

Of course, joining the Navy is not for everyone but for Hillary, who had strong ties with the military through her family, it was a no-brainer. “Three out of my four grandparents were in the military, two in the Air Force and one in the Navy. My parents both grew up as military brats and have always thought highly of the military and the benefits it has still to this day provided for our family.” Hillary completed her undergraduate education at the University of Florida, which is where she first found out about the HPSP scholarship program. Her first step in learning more about the program was talking to a recruiter. She explained, “there was a very active dental/medical Navy recruiter in Gainesville, who I listened to a few times before I took serious thought to the idea.”
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With graduation looming near for the fourth years, I asked Hillary what she is most excited for after graduation. The day after graduation, Hillary will fly to Rhode Island for Officer Development School (ODS). She will be there for 5 weeks, at the end of which will be a graduation ceremony. “I think what I am most looking forward to in the short-term is this ceremony,” Hillary says. “I am really proud to be in this program and I think that on this day when I graduate as an official officer in the Navy, I am going to feel like I have put my life towards something bigger than I ever imagined.” Hillary has already been accepted into an AEGD residency program at Naval Station Norfolk next year which just happens to be the world’s largest naval base. It is safe to say that the Navy is giving Hillary plenty to be excited for when graduation comes.

​When asked about his favorite part of ASDA, Kai’s answer is clear; “Networking. The networking opportunities with ASDA are endless. When you go to a conference, you get to meet hundreds of other people from all over the country and learn about their dental school. It just makes the importance of organized dentistry that much clearer.”
 
Kai’s favorite memory of ASDA goes way back to his very first National Leadership conference. It was an experience Kai will cherish forever. The dental students there were overwhelmingly welcoming and eager to help him achieve his dream of getting into dental school. “I was surrounded by students and leaders that inspired me to be like them and to not give up on my dream. I’ll never forget that feeling.”

​Many of the students at UAB often wonder how Kai is able to balance schoolwork and being able to travel to all the ASDA conferences. His ability to go across the country for an entire week and still keep up his schoolwork baffles the mind of even the most avid procrastinator. For Kai, it’s all about staying ahead of schedule and keeping on top of things. “School always comes first,” says Kai. “At the end of the day ASDA is an extracurricular activity but it’s my passion so I’ve learned how to make it work.” Kai says it is also incredibly important to stay in contact with the faculty and request days off as far in advance as possible. “The faculty want you to attend events like this so they are often very supportive of me attending them.”
 
If you are interested in becoming more involved with ASDA at the national level like Kai, this is his advice for you: “Surround yourself with likeminded people and seek out mentorship. Don’t be afraid to reach out to district national leaders and express your interest in becoming more involved.” Clearly, ASDA has had an extremely large impact on Kai’s career in dentistry. So next time you get one of those emails asking if you want to attend a conference, consider giving it a try!

Author: Kelsey Gwin, Class of 2021

​Rick has been playing music for quite some time now and can play multiple instruments including the guitar and drums. He started playing piano during his junior year of college while living with his friend, Nick. “I was really inspired by Nick’s passion for the piano,” says Rick, “and I started learning how to play shortly after that.” Unfortunately, Nick passed away while Rick was in college but Rick was able to play an original song of Nick’s at his funeral.

Unlike most pianist who learn to play by reading music, Rick learns a new song by rote only. That is, he listens to the song and plays the notes he hears back on the piano. “I love finding new songs and even write a few of my own. I also dabble in mixing music.”
 
Rick recently performed in two acts in the school’s annual Variety Show which he says is one of his favorite memories of playing the piano. “My ultimate goal is to write a song for a movie; even if it’s a small movie no one’s heard of!” Rick hinted that something might already be in the works to make this goal a reality but he could not confirm anything right now.
 
Now the question everyone’s wondering about; how does Rick have time to play the piano during spring semester of D1 year, a notoriously difficult semester. “Unfortunately I have not gotten to play as much as I’d like this semester,” says Rick. “It’s been a while because of the crazy busy schedule we’ve had recently. I just try to play whenever I can and use it as a break from studying. I have a small piano in my apartment that I like to fiddle around on. I have to be careful though because I lose track of time easily and sometimes end up playing for hours.”
 
For those of you wanting to take on learning the piano, Rick’s advice is simply practice. “Just play a little bit every day and you will get better and better.” It is always great to see students like Rick making time for the things outside of school that make them happy. Hopefully, we will get to see him perform again at next year’s variety show as I am sure he will continue get better and better while he plays at home during his study breaks. Are you ready to learn how to play piano?

Author: Kelsey Gwin, Class of 2021