2026 COMMENCEMENT SERIES | When he’s not shining teeth, he’s shearing sheep

Long before he knew he wanted to pursue a career taking care of people's teeth, Brady Meudt grew up tending to sheep.

Hundreds and hundreds of sheep.

The family farm is where Meudt (pronounced "might") discovered a passion for healthcare, and mentorship through national livestock shows and camps is what instilled a lifelong devotion to helping others. On the verge of his graduation from Marquette University School of Dentistry, Meudt prepares to take both facets into the next phase of his life as a practicing dentist.

Rural roots

Growing up in Whitewater, Wisconsin - about an hour southwest of Milwaukee - Meudt's family raised around 100 mature female sheep at a time. When the sheep had babies, there could be up to 300 sheep on the farm. It was all hands on deck to clean, wean and feed them.

By age 11, after his parents divorced and downsized the number of animals, Meudt took an interest in competitive livestock showing as a hobby with his dad.

"That was kind of my sport growing up," Meudt says. "Some people play basketball; I like to show livestock."

Meudt showed sheep, cattle, pigs and one goat, traveling the Midwest with impeccably groomed animals to later be sold to market buyers. And for all the work raising the livestock, Meudt and his family reaped the prizes.

Among his many titles on the junior and senior circuits, he was a regular podium finisher at the Wisconsin State Fair: there was the 2015 Champion Performance Lamb title, the Grand Champion Market Lamb and third overall champion titles in 2017, and Supreme Champion lamb show person in 2019. To top it all, he won the 2020 Champion Senior Showman title at the Aksarben Stock Show in Nebraska.

He was still competing while studying biology at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse when he started working with Leggett's You Gotta Believe (YGB) Livestock Camps. Meudt traveled to all corners of the country to teach kids a combination of faith, teamwork and livestock showmanship.

"I always taught the kids to be a good person first and foremost," he says. "That's how I was raised, and that's how I see what I do in my work. YGB is something I was super passionate about, and much like my transition to dentistry, I was able to help people in something that I love to do."

Dentistry comes from personal perspective

Of course, Meudt thought about veterinary school, but he knew he wanted to heal humans, too. He shadowed his aunt, a physician assistant, and felt the pace wasn't for him.

Then, he got to shadow his childhood dentist for a day.

"It was incredible," he says. "I was like, 'that's it - that's what I want to do.'"

Marquette's Dental School was the right fit for him: it was the most affordable option and it's close to home, giving him more time with family and the animals. The field of dentistry was a natural fit, too, because Meudt himself has a history of needing major dental care, including receiving implants for hypodontia, the condition of congenitally missing teeth. He believes his experiences in the chair now help him work with patients.

"I can sympathize with those patients because I went through it," he says. "I know what it's like to get a shot in the mouth. I really try to guide them through the process. It's not fun, but you can persevere and come out with a smile, like I did."

Meudt says he treats each patient like he knows them personally. And sometimes that's been the case - treating his family members for major procedures at Marquette's dental clinics.

"Usually for us, to treat somebody in our family there's extra pressure," says Dr. Cindy Dodo, a clinical assistant professor who advised on some of Meudt's restorative cases. "The same care that he applies to his family members, I can see that he applies to all his patients, and that's very valuable."

All the while, between clinic time and exams, Meudt was making trips to the family's farm - Meudt Family Genetics - outside Janesville, Wisconsin, to help watch the animals, particularly during competition season when his family was on the road.

"I take care of the sheep, the dog, the goldfish," he says. "It'd be like, 'I've got a patient Friday morning, but you bet I'll be there Thursday night to feed.'"

Though he no longer competes, Meudt is still involved in youth organizations and is now passing his knowledge along to his eight-year-old half-brother. As for post-graduation plans, Meudt will begin working as a general dentist in Marinette, Wisconsin, in the northeast corner of the state. His dream is to raise a few sheep there.

"I'm really excited to serve that rural area because there's a bit of a barrier to access to care there," he says. "We'll try to find our place in the agricultural community. We're very tight knit, so I want to give back to that community that helped become who I am."