Student: Samantha Yarboro

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Among a sea of blue scrubs, each member of the East Carolina University School of Dental Medicine's Class of 2027 has carved his or her own path, making a unique mark on the school during their journey.

One stands apart among them, in ways that mark her as the unofficial face of the class that is just beginning its final year of dental school -not only as class president but as a prime example of the future of dentistry in North Carolina.

During her first three years studying in Ross Hall, Samantha Yarboro could be found making sandwiches during lunch as part of a Dental Student Government service project, focusing intently on a patient procedure during ECU Smiles for Veterans or rallying her class - fondly nicknamed "the Blueberries" - for some bonding time outside of school hours.

Yarboro is a glowing combination of grace and grit - warmth layered onto energy and confidence that come from being a veteran, a mother and a soon-to-be dentist.

During a quiet moment in the dip of time between third- and fourth-year classes and clinic, Yarboro paused to reflect on how her past achievements and future endeavors have joined in perfect harmony to bring her to this moment.

"My background before dental school was definitely not the 'traditional straight-through' path, which honestly ended up shaping me in the best way possible," she said.

A native of Oak Island, North Carolina, Yarboro, 38, earned her undergraduate degree in sociology from UNC Chapel Hill, with dreams of becoming a dentist lining her path. She went back and took more prerequisite courses to strengthen her dental school applications and never gave up.

Yarboro enlisted in the Navy, an experience that prepared her for dental school in unforgettable ways. She learned discipline, adaptability and resilience in ways that have carried directly into dental school, including approaching dentistry with a certain fortitude.

"Joining the Navy gave me the opportunity to work in dentistry before dental school, and I really fell in love with the combination of healthcare, science, artistry and relationship-building," she said. "Dentistry is one of the few professions where you can genuinely change someone's confidence and quality of life in a very tangible way."

That desire led her to ECU because of its mission to care for rural and underserved communities - which aligned with her dream to eventually practice at the coast.

"It felt like a school that cared just as much about people as it did about producing good clinicians, and that mattered a lot to me," she said.

And here, she has thrived.

As class president, Yarboro has learned a lot about leadership and a lot about herself.

"It has definitely reinforced for me that leadership is a lot less about titles and a lot more about listening, advocating and being willing to have difficult conversations when needed," she said. "I've tried to be someone my classmates know will speak up for them and genuinely care."

Those skills also come from motherhood. Yarboro's son, S. J., 11, tagged along for her photo shoot; the camera captured them in a laughing embrace through which their closeness shined through. Yarboro hopes her experiences have transformed into lessons for him.

"More than anything, I hope he learns that it's okay to chase big goals, even when the path isn't easy or conventional," she said. "I hope he sees perseverance, hard work and the importance of continuing to believe in yourself even when things are difficult. And hopefully he's also learned the importance of caffeine and good study snacks."

S.J., an "unofficial mascot" and token participant in many activities at the school, confirmed that some of that has indeed stuck.

"I'm proud of my mom because she works really hard and still makes time for me," he said. "I think she's going to be a really good dentist because she is so generous and cares a lot about people."

That formula for establishing close relationships with family and friends also extends to Yarboro's patients.

"I think patients can tell very quickly whether you genuinely care about them or whether you're just trying to get through an appointment," she said. "I try to listen first, make people feel comfortable and meet them where they are without judgment. A lot of patients come in anxious or scared, and sometimes simply taking your time and making someone feel heard is just as important as the dentistry itself."

As she begins her fourth-year rotations in the Ross Hall clinics and the statewide community service learning centers (CSLCs), Yarboro finds it surreal that this moment has come - in addition to her future plans to either pursue a residency at the Veterans Administration in Fayetteville or enter private practice.

"I think the CSLCs give us a chance to build confidence in treatment planning, patient communication and decision-making in a more real-world setting," she said. "I'm also excited to work with different patient populations across North Carolina and learn how to adapt to the needs of each community. I feel like those experiences are what really help shape you from being a student into becoming a dentist."