Growing up, senior Haila Salaheddine was not a big fan of going to the dentist.
“I was initially very fearful of the dentist. When I was living in Lebanon, there wasn’t really preventative care for oral hygiene,” said Salaheddine, a major.
After high school, Salaheddine moved to the United States and discovered she had eight cavities.
“I got them filled in quadrants, which was not fun, but I paid close attention to what the dentist was doing; all the material he was picking up. I started asking questions and ended up shadowing the same dentist, and soon fell in love with it,” said Salaheddine.
Salaheddine is graduating this spring with a bachelor of science from George Mason’s and plans to attend dental school at the University of Maryland.
“Now it will be my responsibility to make sure that patients feel comfortable with me, which is something that I'm very excited for. Going to the dentist is a different experience for everybody and I want to help make the process as easy as possible,” said the student.
During her time on campus, Salaheddine was president of the Volunteers Around the World dental outreach program, vice president of Patriots for Public Health, and a member of the Pre-Dental Society, Chemistry Club, and Alpha Phi sorority.
“Our main goal with Volunteers Around the World is to get enough members to travel overseas for two weeks in the summer and provide dental care for underserved communities in countries like the Dominican Republic, Vietnam, and Peru,” said Salaheddine, who has attended multiple national meetings.
She was also president of a student advisory group that advocated for more global and community health (GCH) courses in Peterson Hall.
“We met with President Gregory Washington on a monthly basis and discussed how having more courses in this building can help GCH students to integrate themselves more in the major and with fellow peers,” she said.
Salaheddine is in her third semester of being a learning advisor for College of Science professor Gwendolyn Fondufe, providing support to students in DzԻܴڱ’s classrooms.
One of Salaheddine’s favorite courses was organic chemistry taught by Greg Petruncio.
“Haila has a high capacity for memorization, something that is necessary to perform well in organic chemistry and is evidenced by her stellar performance in the course,” said Petruncio, a postdoctoral fellow in George Mason’s College of Science.
“She would show up to my office hours regularly and would often ask exam-focused questions to target her studying efforts,” he said.
Salaheddine describes the course as the climax of her college experience.
“It taught me a lot about myself, about my time management skills, and it was really impactful in me passing my dental admission exams,” she said.
What’s your best memory at George Mason?
My freshman year in fall 2021. It was the turnover of the COVID-19 era and we were getting more social interactions, but it was still very quiet on campus. It was a really new and unique experience, and a critical point for me. I often question what it would be like if I was to go back freshman year and have it completely in person, and whether that would've changed my way of thinking or the places where I usually hang our and study now.
How have you grown at George Mason?
My senior year is when I found my love of joining clubs and trying to hold leadership positions because it was something that kept me intertwined with George Mason as a commuter. Something that’s important for me is being able to receive constructive criticism when working with others so being able to socialize and ask this from people was really significant for me, especially as I started applying to dental schools and interviewing for programs. I don't think I would be where I am now as a leader in two different clubs and admitted into dental school otherwise.
What advice do you have for incoming students?
As a learning advisor for BIOL 213 [Cell Structure and Function], a lot of my students are freshmen, and funny enough I oftentimes advise them to socialize and put themselves outside their comfort zone and make friends with people they wouldn't typically interact with. It builds a lot of personality and social awareness.
There are so many different perspectives surrounding us at all times and being able to keep an open mind while interacting with all these different individuals helps you, especially as a person who's still growing. We can't always control the environment we’re in and being able to communicate with others in a meaningful way is crucial.
What’s next for you?
I'm very excited to finally go to dental school at the University of Maryland. As a dental assistant, you're shadowing professionals and helping on the sidelines. I finally get to say that I am pursuing my future career and providing firsthand care to others. That's something that's very heartwarming and amazing to hear.