Nathalia Hernandez

UConn School of Dental Medicine

I was born in New Rochelle, New York after my mother immigrated there from Colombia. When I was eight, we moved to Bridgeport, Connecticut, where I spent the rest of my childhood. I obtained a bachelor’s degree in molecular and cellular biology and one in Spanish from the University of Connecticut in Storrs, Connecticut.

I have volunteered in several urban settings, primarily among Latinx communities. I began volunteering at Northbridge Healthcare in Bridgeport as a recreational assistant; I also directed Spanish programs for patients with dementia. I also volunteered for two months as a medical intern in Cusco, Peru taking vitals of incoming patients and working as a dental assistant. In the summer of 2019, I volunteered as a Spanish language interpreter with UConn’s Migrant Farm Worker Clinics.

I want to join the Urban Service Track/AHEC Scholars (UST/AS) Program in order to become a dentist and ambassador for America’s Latinx communities, and to open up national conversations on how to overcome the healthcare gap in the United States. Through the UST/AS Program, I will be able to apply my dental knowledge to the treatment of and research into underserved communities and the many problems they face in America’s healthcare system. Knowledge is key, and I believe that the UST/AS Program will broaden my knowledge base by encouraging me to collaborate with healthcare professionals from other fields. Being on the front lines of oral healthcare will make my dental school experience all the more impactful and me all the more zealous during that experience.