Ahoy there mateys! Read on to learn more about John: July's Student Spotlight!
Where are you from?
"Galveston, TX"
Where did you attend undergrad, and what was your major?
"I went to Texas A&M University where my major was Biomedical Science with a double major in Entomology."
What is your favorite part of dental school so far & why?
"The UTH family has been my favorite aspect of dental school. However, operative has been my favorite course so far."
You're stranded on an island and can only bring three things. What do you bring and why?
"I would bring a flint and steel because it is waterproof and I'll need fire at some point, my fishing rod because fish is life, and a satellite phone so I can check my UTH email."
What are your hobbies?
"I like sculpting, cooking, carpentry, fishing, scuba diving, and underwater photography. One of my photos was even on the cover of The Dive News Magazine in November 2011 (Vol. 11. Issue 11)."
Tell us your best fishing story!
"Well, my best and favorite catch is my fiancé, but my best fishing story takes place near the tip of the Yucatan Peninsula. My brother and I hired a charter boat to take us off shore fishing for the day. We were very excited because we though we had found the deal of a lifetime. This was seriously the cheapest fishing charter I had ever seen (cue ominous music).
Fast forwarding through all of the boring details about waking up early and what not, we arrived at a dock that appeared to be abandoned. Before too long, a small boat that I would classify as a dinghy pulled up to the dock with two people and a few fishing rods on it. I hoped the smaller boat would take us to a larger boat, but that was not in the cards for the day. We hopped on the small boat with nothing but a small fiberglass bench for my brother and I to share, and our voyage began.
Everything went surprisingly smoothly despite the fact that we were in a boat that was woefully inadequate for the task. The morning bite was fantastic, and out-fishing my brother made the trip even better for me. I caught my personal best barracuda and a few good sized grouper, and he only caught two small barracuda. Unfortunately, the bliss of the morning did not last into the afternoon.
The wind began to pick up at an alarming rate until it was howling across the water and making our fishing line sing (fishing line hums in fast wind). Before long, the sea around us was rolling and roiling. The small boat was fighting 6-8ft swells that bounced and jostled us until nobody had an unbruised tailbone. Some of the larger swells even started to swamp the boat. My brother and I had to quickly abandon fishing and start furiously bailing water out of our boat while the "captain" and his deck hand fought to try to get us to shore.
After what seemed like forever, we finally made it back in shore and found a sheltered area near some mangroves. The "captain" and his deck hand chacked the boat and seemed satisfied with the state of things. Then they checked on us, and asked if we wanted to call it a day or if we wanted to keep fishing near the shore. We opted to keep fishing, and ended up catching around a dozen mangrove snapper before the day was over. All in all, I would 100% go fishing with those guys. They put me on a personal best fish, so I still count that trip as a success. "
Will you share your hot sauce recipe with the class?
"Absolutely! Ingredients: An absurd number of habaneros, a slightly uncomfortable amount of garlic, olive oil, a smidge of vinegar, and salt. Add everything to the blender and blend until smooth. I add extra olive oil if I want to thin it out, but other stuff would work too."
On really difficult days, who or what motivates you to strive forward and do your best?
"My cat is the epitome of love and support. Everything I do is to make her life better. "
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