Elona Young has been named among the first-class honours graduates of the University of Technology, (UTech), where she has successfully completed her undergraduate studies at the Joint Colleges of Medicine, Oral Health, and Veterinary Sciences.

The 24-year-old will be awarded a Doctor of Medical Dentistry during the university’s 2023 graduation ceremony on Friday, November 17.

Her journey began as she became engrossed in the dental profession after watching her uncle in his dental practice. Young said she was drawn to “how meticulously the dental team worked with each patient” as well as with all the medical equipment and procedures which her young mind had witnessed. She was especially drawn to the oscillatory feature of the panoramic x-ray machines, which she observed, “would rotate around one’s head”. Not long after seeing it in motion, she declared: “I had to try it myself.”

She was not just a passive observer; she was an active learner and helper to her uncle, who allowed her “to assist where needed”. He would assign her reasonable tasks during their “trips to his office” and what Young described as “some of the most memorable and exciting” summer holidays. She noted that “the hands-on nature of the profession” and “the ability to improve one’s confidence” kept her curious.

She attained a grade point average (GPA) of 3.90 over the course of her five-year degree programme in the heights of the COVID-19 pandemic. She said, “One of the greatest challenges I faced was the overwhelming workload and balancing classes.”

“The was an overwhelming amount of pressure to excel while adapting and managing all academic commitments while the whole world was on pause,” she added.

While she made sure to do “plenty” of individual reading in her time at home, the common state of anxiety among her and her batchmates cultivated a kind of synergy that made them “determined to work together…to cope and successfully get through” the uncertain times.

Young identifies her most rewarding experience at UTech, Jamaica as the moments spent building “invaluable friendships and camaraderie made with my fellow classmates”.

To all current and future tertiary students looking to pursue a similar course of study, Young calls on them to heed advice from Nelson Mandela, “It always seems impossible until it is done. Despite the obstacles we face daily: whether mentally, physically, or emotionally, resilience and perseverance are always keys to overcoming.”

As she prepares to leap into the next stage of her career in dentistry, the outstanding UTech, Jamaica graduate remains optimistic about landing job opportunities in both public and private practices. She firmly believes “completing my studies in dentistry has been an achievement that has opened the door to endless possibilities. The valuable knowledge and skills I have acquired in this pursuit have motivated me to give back to the communities across Jamaica”.