GoodHeart | Dental challenges drive Greg-Ann Johnson to find her purpose
Aspiring dentist makes change through volunteerism; wins dual scholarship
by Ainsworth Morris/Staff Reporter · The GleanerGreg-Ann Johnson, a Dr Barry Wint Memorial Scholarship and Courts Dare to Dream Scholarship recipient for 2024, is now thankful for the abnormalities with the appearance of her enamel and having to go to dentists repeatedly for treatment. It was those past situations which led her to the career choice of becoming a dentist and excelling enough to be selected for two scholarships at the start of her tertiary level studies.
“Growing up, I always enjoyed visiting the dentist and witnessing the transformative power of dentistry. I was always fascinated by the brighter, more confident smiles patients left with after their appointments and wanted to one day be the person to give others such smiles,” Johnson, who is now pursuing a Doctor of Medical Dentistry at the University of Technology, told GoodHeart.
Growing up in Runaway Bay, St Ann, Johnson said her parents always knew she would have ventured into the medical field given her love for the sciences, and her inquisitive attitude and analytical mind.
“I chose dentistry because from a young age, I have what you call chalk teeth, so my teeth are very soft ... I ended up going to the dentist a lot growing up; I was one who never really had a fear for them (dentists), because my parents made a case that we end up loving ... if they are there to help, we should not fear them, but actually be around them. Dentistry became my love from seeing the intricacies of it and how someone could come in with cavities and come out looking totally brand new,” she said
Now that she has been selected for scholarships, she is elated that she took the chance to apply.
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“I am beyond grateful for such an opportunity, because dentistry has always been something that I’ve wanted to do, but I was never 100 per cent sure how I would be able to find the money, so when I got the call that I got the scholarships, I knew it would have taken some of the financial burden off myself and off my family members for this year.”
FREEDOM
Attending St Hilda’s Diocesan High School for Girls, she passed eight CSEC subjects with five distinctions and CAPE units with three distinctions in science. Unlike many students who enjoyed the freedom of online classes during the pandemic, Johnson felt depressed, which was a major challenge for her.
“COVID came when I was in grade nine, so I had CSEC after and I did that online, and CSEC is a big jump from what we usually do, so I was feeling completely stressed. I did not know that anyone else was struggling. I thought I was the only one who was struggling with it, so it really affected me a lot. I ended up becoming very anxious and feeling deterred from doing my school work, but in the end, I learned that if [education] is something that I want, I have to work towards it throughout the stress,” Johnson, who is the eldest of three girls for her parents, said.
Once students were allowed to return to school, she resumed the activities and clubs she had once enjoyed and added a few more that aligned with her strengthened faith.
After discussing her stress with her family, they encouraged her to engage in volunteerism, which ultimately became her solution.
“That’s when I found out volunteerism is something I like doing. I ended up joining programmes that helped me to volunteer within my community, within my parish, within my country and also outside,” she said.
On the other hand, she strongly believes copping two scholarships this year is from the volunteerism work she has done over the years.
“I enjoy volunteerism, which is something that I do very often. I find it as something that I can do to release my stress ... but I also really enjoy reading and spending time with God, because I realise once I put my faith in Him and keep going, I’m 100 per cent sure that he’ll carry me through,” Johnson, who currently serves as the environmental projects director for the HeavenSent Foundation, explained.
For all teenagers who feel uninspired due to poverty or discouragement, Johnson has some words of advice, “To all who have big dreams, but you’re not sure how you will be able to afford it, just trust in God and remember that if it is a dream that He [has] placed in your head, He’s going to find a way.”