UofL News: Talk about your home country and how you came to the United States.

Jake Do: I was born and raised in Saigon, Vietnam. Vietnam contains 63 different cities/provinces, each with its own unique cuisine. The food is always fresh, fruits always sweet and coffee always strong. When I was midway through high school, my family’s application got accepted, and we officially became permanent U.S. residents. We knew we would miss Vietnam’s beautiful beaches and people, but we decided to move to America mostly because of the better education and career opportunities.

UofL News: Eventually you ended up here in Louisville and became a patient of the School of Dentistry. Tell us about that experience.Ěý

Jake Do: My relatives are all in Louisville, so when my family first moved to America, Louisville was naturally our new home. My uncle was already here and helped my family with our green card applications and with our adjustment to a new country.

I joined a program called AHEC, as recommended by my aunt. Through the program, I took some science classes and went to different universities in Louisville, so it was the perfect opportunity to get used to the language and the city. It was then that I was introduced to the School of Dentistry and was able to shadow Sherry Babbage because I mentioned an interest in dentistry. It was such an amazing experience that I also signed up to be her patient.

UofL News: Describe Sherry Babbage’s influence on you and your family.ĚýĚý

Jake Do: During our first year in America, my father had a serious cavity, but going to a dental office was never high on his priority list, considering he had not been able to find a job or a place to stay. (We were still living with my uncle’s family at the time.) When I finally convinced him to visit Dr. Babbage, the cavity was so big that she had to pull the tooth.

At the time, I knew nothing about health insurance. My uncle managed to get my family covered, but he did not fully explain the system, especially the part that unlike Vietnam, dental is separate from health insurance. So, my father was responsible for the full charge. After learning about our situation Dr. Babbage said, “No charge,” and refused to take the money. I remembered having tears in my eyes at that time, not just because my father had an extraction for free, but also because I thought, “This, this is the kind of dentist I want to become.” It was Dr. Babbage who turned my mild interest in dentistry into determination.

UofL News: Ultimately, you decided to pursue dental education and applied to the UofL School of Dentistry. What was that experience like for you?

Jake Do: The first step I took to pursue a dental education was applying for ULEAD, a guaranteed entrance program to the School of Dentistry. I was so excited when I got invited to an interview, then I was devastated when I did not get accepted. Dr. Babbage was a faculty member of the program and explained to me what I still needed to work on and convinced me not to give up.

After a year of shadowing Dr. Babbage, she commented that I was becoming more outgoing and asked if I felt more confident in myself. It sounds like a joke now, but at the time, I kept thinking how could I become a dentist if I was more afraid of the patients than they were of me. Mostly, I was afraid of not understanding the patients and of them laughing at my accent.

Dr. Babbage kept my hopes up by acknowledging my struggle and progress in tackling my weakness. When I applied for dental school again in my junior year, I was more mature and prepared, so the interview, albeit virtual, went much more smoothly. For my second attempt, instead of a rejection letter, I received a call to let me know I had been accepted. I stayed up all night from the excitement.

UofL News: You’re now going into your second year as a dental student. Describe the challenges you’ve faced this year and how you’ve overcome them.

Jake Do: As a D2, I am starting to assist D3s and D4s in the dental clinic, directly interacting with patients. There are still lots of awkward silences and miscommunications, but I am glad to have three more years to improve my communication skills in a learning environment. I am learning how faculty members and students in upper classes interact with patients in the clinic, such as asking them how they would like to be addressed, how the drive to the school was or if they have any family in the city.

UofL News: What is your career goal?

Jake Do: Dr. Babbage inspired me to be a dentist like her, to work not for money but for the community, not to open a dental office, but to open a dental home, specifically for those who do not normally expect to get dental care. It is going to have income-based rates, translation services, as well as acceptance of all insurance plans, including Medicaid and Medicare.

I also hope to help my Vietnamese community in Louisville as one of the few dentists in the city who speaks Vietnamese. In Vietnam, the general mentality is that you only go to the dental office when you are in pain, and there is no such thing as 6-month dental check-ups. My parents’ current diagnosis of periodontitis are indications that mindsets need to be changed.

UofL News: Anything else you’d like to share?

Jake Do: I could not stress enough the importance of finding a mentor in the field that you want to pursue. Summer health programs are great ways to connect aspiring students with doctors and graduate students. I was able to become a qualified and competent candidate for the dental school thanks to Dr. Babbage and the newly graduated dentists I met through the programs who were always willing to answer my questions and provide details about the necessary preparations for dental schools.

Hicks was the school’s second African American student (Harold Howard had graduated the year prior), and the first African American female. After leading a successful dental practice, Hicks returned to UofL, where she serves as a role model and mentor. She shares insights about her life experiences through this Q&A.

Please describe your experience as a student at the UofL School of Dentistry.ĚýĚý

The first day of school, I was not aware that I would be the only African American student. I had graduated from Indiana University at Bloomington where there was a good mix of students. It had not occurred to me that I would feel the isolation that I felt those first few weeks in dental school. I believe the experience at Fisk University, an historically Black university, where a strong sense of the strength and the abilities of Black people, together with my success at IU prepared me to thrive at ULSD in these special circumstances.

I was the first African American person with whom many of my classmates ever had a one-on-one conversation. It took two years before some of my classmates realized that I was a really good student. At the same time, I also had the respect and friendship of many of my classmates early on. We will celebrate our 45^th reunion this year. This should have happened in 2020, so it is now 46 years that we have been dentists!

What is most memorable about your time as a student at the School of Dentistry?Ěý

The most memorable time while in school was when my husband and I welcomed our son into the world, during my junior year. I think I was the first female student to have a child while in school.

The second most memorable event was the day I learned I had the highest score on our final examination in endodontics. It was a tough exam. My classmates were upset that I set the curve so high. I was stunned. Dr. Mendel, our course director, wanted to know if I wanted him to help me get into a graduate program. I declined. I enjoyed all of dentistry and did not want to specialize. At that time, I also thought it would have been difficult for an African American endodontist to get enough referrals from the dental community to sustain a practice.

Do you consider yourself a trailblazer?

I believe my success in school may have made it a little easier for those who followed me. Some instructors initially had some reservations about how well I would do. We tried to help underclassmen who followed with tips to help them succeed with lab work, along with discussions about life. After I graduated, several students shadowed me or completed their Area Health łÉČËÖ±˛Ą Centers experience in my office.

What challenges did you face and overcome as a dentist?Ěý

The biggest challenge when I started my practice was to educate my patients on the benefits of prevention and retention of teeth with periodontal and endodontic care. Most African American patients were accustomed to coming to the dentist when they had a tooth ache. By then, they expected, and many times needed an extraction. We used lots of aids, videos, etc., to change this mindset.

Tell us about your career in private practice.ĚýĚý

I set up my practice in the Doctor’s Office Building at 250 East Liberty. It was one of the nicest medical professional buildings in the city at the time. I wanted to set a different level of expectation for my patients. Most offices had been above drug stores or other smaller locations. I stayed there for 11 years.

In those early days, sometimes patients would question if I had enough strength to ‘pull’ a tooth. We also faced some racial prejudice from both white and Black patients who did not know that I was African American before arriving to their appointment. I also learned that I was seeing as many patients for similar procedures as white practitioners, but made less money. The majority of our patients had insurance plans that compensated less than ‘fee for service’ that many white dentists were able to require.

In 1986, I purchased an office building on East Broadway. The practice had an integrated office staff and patient pool. My patients were like family. One thing about general practice that is different from a specialty practice is that you see your patients, their children and their grandchildren over the years. I miss those relationships today.

In 2004, you stepped back through the doors of the dental school to become a part-time faculty member. What inspired you to return to the school?Ěý

I have always wanted to teach the next generation of dentists. I come from a family of educators. Our dinner conversations often involved discussions about how to help children learn. My parents were committed to making a difference in their student’s lives.ĚýI wanted to do the same.

Talk about your role as a mentor for students of color. How do you admonish and encourage their success?Ěý

I love to encourage and assist all students, but I have walked alongside many African American students over the years. Sometimes, we have helped them solve family-related issues, such as a need to find a babysitter. Other times, I have helped with dental projects in dental anatomy, restorative work, etc.Ěý

I have been a mentor and encourager. I want students to know that dental school is hard, but they can meet the goals. What seems hard today, will be gone tomorrow. Faculty are here to help them succeed. Ask for help when you need it. When things are scary, feel the fear and do it anyway, you will be on the other side of the trial soon enough.

What general advice do you have for today’s dental students?Ěý

Learn from each instructor. We may use a different technique or instrument to solve the same problem. Know that when your instructors challenge you to think about how to solve a problem, we are helping you to be independent, thoughtful clinicians. We challenge you here so that this process will be automatic when you are all on your own – think critically!

What do you hope will be your lasting legacy?Ěý

I hope history will see me as a person of color who helped to level the field in dental education. I hope I am an example to other African American students, showing them that they, too, can face difficult situations and succeed. I hope I have helped patients with excellent dental education and care. We have not won everyone over, but many apprehensive patients have become excited or at least know what to expect when they once were apprehensive.

I hope I have influenced students to lend a hand to the next generation, to give by service through community and international missions, to know that we should continue to learn and grow for a lifetime. Have a well-rounded life, with interests outside of dentistry.

Anything else you’d like to share?Ěý

I have a concern for the degree of depression, anxiety and fear of the ‘next step,’ that many young people are experiencing today. If you are in a dark place that you don’t seem to be able to rise above, seek medical advice. But many times, there is an attitude, a way of thinking about yourself in relation to a difficult problem that can change. It seems that often students think the solution is all totally on their shoulders, and don’t see a way out of the problem.

When I have faced difficult times, I never felt like I was all alone. I have trusted that God will be with me, guiding me, walking with me through the storm. The situation will pass. The problem may not be solved the way that I originally thought, but we will press on and succeed.

The 2018 political science graduate plans to go to Hungary in January to begin a prestigious Fulbright research award though the U.S. Department of State to explore international relations.Ěý

It’s just the latest chance to pursue her interests abroad, and she credits most of them to the continuing aid, interest and support from UofL mentors.

“I think the big thing I learned at UofL was to try things — to put your name out there and try options,” Golding said. The Florida native arrived in Louisville with her political science major in mind and a legal career as a goal, following in the footsteps of her father, 1986 law alum John Golding. However, her path to complete the undergraduate major led her in a different direction, thanks to the encouragement of faculty and staff and to other options explored during her time on campus.

“I was open to other opportunities,” she said. “My mentors at UofL were able to see in me something I couldn’t see in myself.”

Her UofL selection was cinched when she visited Belknap Campus for the Accolade admissions event for high school academic achievers “and fell in love.” Once enrolled, she ended up spending loads of time in the building where her major classes were.

“I was political science to the core,” Golding said. “I lived in Ford Hall and the Ford Hall basement (study area). I recommend UofL’s political science department to anyone I meet. They helped foster that passion I already had for political science.”

She zeroed in on one of those professors, Julie Bunck, her first year at UofL. Golding remembers sitting in Bunck’s class thinking, “somehow, someway, she’s going to be my mentor.” And she was – and remains so.

“Dr. Bunck, in particular, likes for people to check in and tell how we’re doing,” Golding said. “She’s a friend and also a mentor, too.”

Not all the nurturing folks taught in Ford Hall, however, Golding was in the Honors Program, where Luke Buckman and Kirsten Armstrong – “people who always encouraged my crazy ideas” – enriched her college experience. Golding served on the Honors Student Council and as an Honors peer adviser for incoming students for two summers, as well as participating in other related programs.

Plunging into the Honors charitable fundraiser – a huge week-long, biennial book and media sale – she helped run it the year it benefited Camp Quality Kentuckiana for children diagnosed with cancer. About the same time she also worked heavily on raiseRED, the largest UofL student-run philanthropy effort, to raise funds to fight pediatric cancer.

“It is a lot of work,” she said. “It’s always worth it in the end when you see the checks (for the charities’ donations).”

Speaking of hard work, Golding commended everyone in another UofL office, the Office of National and International Scholarship Opportunities, for shepherding her efforts to gain the Fulbright award she ultimately won.Ěý

“I think that’s something that sets UofL apart, that office,” Golding said.

“Fulbright is a very intensive process, but it’s one of the most prestigious scholarships that someone can win,” she said.

The first thing she and fellow applicants realized is to prepare to discard the first application draft, no matter how hard they labored on it, and to keep revising.

“The big thing is to go to people for advice, having people help you,” Golding said. “Everybody at UofL is trying to help you make it better. There’s a light at the end of the tunnel.”

That light first shone when she qualified as a Fulbright alternate, although she didn’t get the call to go that year. As an English Speaking Union scholar, Golding also spent time at Oxford University focusing on European Union politics.

After graduating from UofL, she opted to study abroad again, earning a master’s degree in European studies at Katholieke Universiteit Leuven in Belgium. “It ended up being a phenomenal experience,” Golding said.

Her second try for a Fulbright paid off, and that’s why she plans to be in Hungary next year researching the role of central Europe in trans-Atlantic energy cooperation.

Golding hopes her Fulbright term next year could also enable her to remain in Europe to help with a Budapest summer school opportunity that she enjoyed last year, when she was the only American participating at Antall Jozsef Knowledge Center, where she studied regional security politics.

Since summer 2019 she has been stateside in Florida, applying that political acumen to work on a congressional campaign as well as serving as volunteer coordinator with the Blessings in a Backpack nonprofit organization.

So where might all this lead?

Although she admits her dream job would be U.S. secretary of state, Golding does foresee herself “working in D.C. in some capacity with the State Department.” All the building blocks so far are adding up to work in foreign policy or diplomacy.

“I’m excited to see how everything falls together,” she said.

is a human resources initiative and part of the “great places to work” vision.

According to , director of employee development and success, the pilot program will match mentors and mentees and then—for the most part—let them decide how often to meet, what to discuss, and how they can learn from each other.

“We decided that an informal approach is best because we want to allow plenty of room for employees and mentors to decide what goals they want to work on, and the best way to go about it,” Buford said. “Plus, it gives us an opportunity to gather information so we can tweak the program and make it even better.”

As a general guideline, organizers recommend that mentors-mentees meet at least once a month.

While the program is open to all employees, the 2019 launch prioritizes staff because, historically, there have been fewer mentoring opportunities available to them.

“This program is an easy way for employees to take part in professional development without having to leave campus or take time away from their normal work day,” said John Elliott, interim associate vice president for human resources. “Employees who are engaged with their co-workers are happier and healthier and that’s a very big deal for us.”

Employees from marginalized groups (women, people of color, LGBTQ and others) are especially encouraged to apply as part of the university’s commitment to fostering diversity, equity and inclusion.

Buford notes that mentoring is a smart way to tap into institutional knowledge that may be specific to UofL and higher education. The relationship between co-workers and is a good example.

Lynum-Walker, a Kent School counselor and advisor, was paired with Taylor, assistant provost for student affairs and assistant dean of students, because she wanted to learn more about student conduct policies.

After a few meetings with Taylor, Lynum-Walker said, “The mentorship has allowed me to build a professional relationship with someone that I probably would not have been afforded the opportunity to meet otherwise.”

Employees interested in learning more or signing up for Mentoring for Success can

After the sign-up period closes March 29, there will be a kick-off event in mid-April, a series of workshops during the summer and fall and a culminating celebration in December.