What is your job title/your role at Scottish Rite?
I am a clinical dental hygienist. My role is to help provide checkups and cleanings to our patients at Scottish Rite. I also assist our dental manager with daily activities in the clinic, including scheduling surgeries, ordering supplies and managing clinic flow.
What is the most fulfilling part of your job?
It’s definitely the kids. Being able to provide care to our patients is very rewarding. A smile from them can brighten my whole day.
What makes Scottish Rite a special place to you?
There is always a little magic in the air at Scottish Rite. It’s a place where everyone feels included and cared for.
What made you choose a career in health care?
I always loved to help people, so I chose a career where I could work in a nonprofit setting and provide care to an underserved population. I am also a total science nerd, and I love to learn new things. I feel like I get to all of that at Scottish Rite!
What is something unique you get to do in your position?
We sing a lot in dental. If you haven’t heard us in the hallways, you should swing by sometime. Many of our patients get nervous before their appointments, and they ask us to sing to calm them down.
What’s your favorite thing to do outside of work?
My two passions outside of work are gardening and yoga. I have spent the past few years putting together an extensive vegetable and flower garden. I also have practiced yoga for more than 20 years and love the way it makes me feel.
Do you have any hidden talents?
I am really good with a hammer! In 2018, I bought a fixer-up house and spent two years gutting and remodeling it.
Where are you from and what brought you to DFW?
I was born and raised in Dallas.
If you could travel to anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?
I would love to travel to Spain. It is the one country in Europe I haven’t been able check off my travel list.
If you had to pick one meal to eat for the rest of your life, what would it be and why?
I would choose chicken, as well as macaroni and cheese with fried okra. It reminds me of my childhood. Must be the southerner in me!
What movie do you think everyone should watch at least once?
Everyone should watch “Groundhog Day”. I think if we all had a chance to re-do one day, we would learn that the way we treat each other is one of the most important things to remember.
What was the first concert you attended?
New Kids on the Block.
Favorite DFW hidden gem?
My favorite is the Balcony Club in East Dallas. It’s the cutest jazz bar with live music every night, almost like a time capsule of the 1980s.
If you were to have a movie based on your life, which actress/actor would you choose to play your character?
I would choose Scarlett Johansson.
What is some advice you would give your younger self OR what’s the best piece of advice you’ve received?
If I could give my younger self advice, I would say don’t worry so much about how the world sees you. You should worry more about doing better each day.
