India

I am a proud Atlanta native. I grew up in a single parent household after my mother passed away when I was 8 years old following a breast cancer diagnosis. My father tirelessly raised my older sister and me in Marietta, Georgia. As a young girl I was not remotely aware of all of the sacrifices my dad made to raise us, which I am immensely grateful for now as an adult with a family of my own. There was not a moment I felt disadvantaged or that I was without due to the efforts of my dad. Somehow, he managed to work full time, raise 2 young girls, and still be present for all of the basketball games, tennis matches, and dance practices. We definitely had a village to get us through, but my older sister by far had the largest influence on my upbringing. I followed her footsteps in so many ways, with the most life changing being our paths to Spelman College.

I entered Spelman College wanting to pursue a career in dentistry, following in my dad’s footsteps, who is a dentist. While at Spelman, I made lifelong friendships, gained an excellent education, matured and graduated with undeniable confidence as an African American woman that I really hadn’t experienced previously growing up in a predominantly white suburb. Ben and I started dating our Sophomore year in college and our relationship grew and changed from that moment on.

Following Spelman, I entered dental school at Medical College of Georgia in Augusta, Georgia. I excelled academically and graduated at the top of my class. I remained in Augusta for an additional 30 month residency program, took several licensing and board exams, and became a Board Certified Orthodontist. Along the way I didn’t realize what an accomplishment this was until researching and uncovering that I would be the second African American to ever graduate from my residency program. With much disappointment, I had a hard time finding a job in a private practice when I graduated residency so I worked with a corporate dental organization until the perfect opportunity presented itself 2 years later. I gave birth to my daughter, Tatum, in September 2019 and returned from maternity leave to a new job, which came with its challenges and excitement at the same time.

Some of my goals of this blog are to share my experiences and adversities that I have had to overcome and deal with throughout my life. Growing up without a mother, living in a predominantly white suburb, attending a historically black college, matriculating through dental school and residency as a minority, getting married, starting a family and navigating the world of a working, nursing mother are all experiences that are not unique to my upbringing alone; however, I will share my perspective and ways I was able to ascend to where I am today with the help of my supportive husband. We certainly don’t have it all figured out, but we look forward to growing with you along the way as we navigate this ever changing world as parents, partners, leaders and friends.