ArNelle Wright | 2022 CALS Alumni & Friends Horizon Award

ArNelle Wright:
I practice this with my two kids. We’d say every morning, “Anything I can put my mind to, I can do.”

I’m the first person in my family to go to college. The first time that I applied to dental school I did not get in. I was an
undergrad and so I just was not prepared.

I started shadowing and I learned about dentistry because I didn’t even know or consider it to be like a career opportunity for me. I realized that
nutritional sciences, which is within the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences was a common career path for people interested in dentistry,  medicine and sometimes pharmacy.

Wendy Dahl:
ArNelle was in the first class I taught here at UF when I came 14 years ago. She came into our nutrition program with a goal in mind and she approached it by working hard, always being professional, making the right connections and I mean she’s succeeded.

Wright:
I applied to dental school three times and I was able to get in on my third time. What kept me going throughout that process was just realizing that dentistry was the end goal and I didn’t want to change my mind about that.

Because of my story, I started to realize and connect with other students who had similar backgrounds that I did. People started
reaching out to me quite often through social media or with me being on campus, and from there that’s really how I started building my mentorship program.

Meghan Alexis:
I wanted a mentor that looked like me, so I fortunately fell upon Dr. Wright’s page. Everything about her when I was going through her Instagram kind of fit what I was looking for, and then when I talked to her I felt like I already knew her.

She has a very warm personality. Upon taking the DAT, Dr. Wright was with me during the whole study time. I felt her presence through and I remember at times when I wanted to give up because I didn’t like my score she played a large role in giving me the boost of confidence I needed.

Wright:
It really gives me a lot of pride and it helps me realize that I’m also giving back to my profession by helping students get into their fields.

Alexis:
I feel like I wouldn’t be sitting here right now as a first-year dental student if it wasn’t for her and you could tell it’s a true passion of hers and she really goes above and beyond. Everybody remembers her now.

Dahl:
I’ve been sending an email around to the faculty that she’s getting this award and everybody’s so excited. She works so hard and she was just a
great student.

Wright:
I kind of took a little bit of a scenic route and I say that with pride because it really set me up for all the success that I have right now.

The number one thing is to stick with the end goal despite any obstacles that come about.

 

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Posted: September 21, 2022


Category: UF/IFAS Teaching
Tags: Alumni, Award


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