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| What is Your Give Back?
Andrea Schloegel, DDS PA
| I first considered ‘give back’ during my interview for dental school. My interviewer, an Oral Surgeon who later became an incredible mentor and friend, asked, “Tell me about how you plan to give back to our profession?” What a question. That question stayed with me throughout school and still lives in my conscience and heart.
Give back became very real for me as I had the remarkable opportunity to work in an orphanage in Barquisimeto, Venezuela, as a senior dental student. It was through a generous scholarship that I was able to make the trip with several dentists, dental specialists, and other students. From the beginning of the trip, my eyes were opened to what my interviewer had been aiming at - the crucial importance of give back as a part of our lives. What were my skills for, after all, if not for helping others, especially helping those in need? Even now, the give back is the part of my life that keeps me getting out of bed every morning and going back for more each day with my feet firmly planted on the ground.
It was my hope from the beginning that I could return on this outreach trip to Venezuela every year. In the back of my mind, I hoped someday I could even sponsor a student for the trip so another could have the same opportunity I did. That is the beautiful thing about give back – the more you give, the bigger the dream becomes and the more you want to share and involve others in the experience. Give back is supportive and inclusive in a way I have rarely experienced in other areas of life. It took a couple of years right out of school to save the money for my next trip to Venezuela, but the value and meaning of the trip was priceless.
After being involved in foreign outreach missions to Venezuela and Honduras for six years, I began to think of the importance of looking closer to home. While studying at the Pankey Institute this past July, this call became stronger. It began with a vision shared between two doctors in Master’s Hall about doing more than just day-to-day dentistry. It was a vision to do more to help others in our community. Within this vision, we could reach beyond just the dentistry to restore confidence and self-esteem.
From that initiative of love, Smiles of Hope was born. It was the first of many local outreach days to follow in our hometown. This first project served the amazing women of a local battered women’s shelter, Hope House. It is staggering to consider that 1 in 4 women will be a victim of domestic violence at some point in her life. This violence often does more than just physical damage. It shatters confidence; it can cause a loss of hope in oneself and the future. We understood as simple dentists, we were far from being able to fix all the damage in the lives of these women. To us, even restoring a small piece of that hope with our care could be the tipping point for change in their esteem and their lives.
One week before Thanksgiving, together with our teams, Dr. Chris Leiszler and I counted our blessings on a Saturday morning. What we were about to do was a true, rich blessing of life. The support of our teams was nothing short of inspiring. We served breakfast and snacks to the women and took time to listen to each woman’s story. Tears and hugs followed as we determined each woman’s dental needs and completed her individualized treatment. It was amazing to see these women rally around and support each other through their common bond and see how effortlessly our teams met their needs in this environment.
What I have learned from the time I was a student until now is that giving back gives so much more to me than I could ever hope to give to another. Our world is full of possibility and abundance for those who are willing to believe in themselves and believe in the goodness of humanity. I understand it is sometimes hard to see the good; we are all wounded from fighting some type of battle, seen or unseen. Some feel they are too young to make a difference, while others feel too old or set in their ways. Some feel they simply don’t have time.
I believe we are each divinely given our own unique abilities and talents, and it is up to us to be open to give and receive all that these talents have to offer through life and through our interactions with others.
Because of one question posed to me many years ago, I see the world in a different way, with different opportunities. I invite you to consider the question that was posed to me – “What is your give back?” I believe your life will be blessed more richly than you can even imagine when you give.
Give your unique talent. Give kindness. Give love. Give.
My very best to you in your journey.
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