This was a beautiful milestone in Michael’s journey toward becoming a dentist. It’s hard to believe how quickly his first year of dental school has passed. He’s not just keeping up—he’s truly thriving. In fact, he’s doing so well that the faculty asked him to tutor first-year students in hands-on operative work. Watching him grow into this role has been nothing short of inspiring. Michael invited his close friends Carson Solano and Ali Fritz.
Back when I was in dental school, we didn’t have a White Coat Ceremony. I recently learned that the tradition started in 1993 at a school on the East Coast—just a few years after I graduated in 1990. For me, getting accepted and eventually graduating were the big milestones. But I have to admit, walking with Michael across that stage in his white coat stirred something deep in me.
We’ve always been proud of him—but this moment, this ceremony, made it all feel real in a different way. Our hearts were full watching our number one son take this step toward his future.
