Aiman Alvi Alvi 1

Mrs. Kahlich

1st Period ISM

September 30, 2019

Mentor Interview

There are billions of people around the world who already know what they want to

become and along with those billions, there are trillions who have no idea what interests them.

Choosing what fascinates you and pushes you to become the best version of yourself is very

difficult, especially if you have no idea what that could be. At most many students tend to just

push through what they’ve already started but if the career isn’t something you’re interested in

then you shouldn’t pursue it. My mentor, Dr. Justin Riel, went through a lot of trial and error on

his path to becoming a dentist, but in the end, he decided it was the one for him.

Most of the time the pressure of having to be drawn towards a career usually comes from

the people you’re surrounded by, but a lifelong occupation doesn’t just work for everyone. For

example, Dr. Riel, mentioned that because his mother and brother were in the medical field and

they found it interesting, maybe he would also. So, he attended Georgetown University, majored

in psychology, and started his journey in the medical field. When we spoke about majors, he

mentioned that many people tend to believe that because you’re pursuing a career in the medical

field the best major would be biology, biochemistry, etc. But in reality, that is not the case, a

student should major in what they find interesting and if things don’t work out then to always

have a backup plan. Dr. Riel emphasized that the major you’re choosing will in the end provide

you a decent job and salary, which is extremely important because if the career you might be

thinking of pursuing in changes, and it’s too late, then you’re stuck with the one you’ve chosen.
Aiman Alvi Alvi 2

Mrs. Kahlich

1st Period ISM

September 30, 2019

Now once, Dr. Riel started his medical journey he found himself not very drawn towards

the idea of becoming a doctor, he saw many of his classmates excited about being there, while he

was the total opposite. But he pushed through it even though he wasn’t enjoying what he was

learning, once it was time to apply to medical schools, he was waitlisted at about 3 colleges

including the one of his choice and decided that maybe becoming a doctor just wasn’t meant for

him. He decided to ask his parents for help and see if they could help him with his predicament,

his father mentioned that maybe pursuing a career in dentistry could be something that he would

enjoy.

Therefore, Dr. Riel then mentioned that when thinking about pursuing dentistry he

thought about all the times he would go to his dentist and how happy he seemed. Dr. Riel

explained that something that interested him the most about dentistry was how flexible it was, he

mentioned “I enjoy that once work is over it’s over and I can go back to my personal life without

any interruptions”, this was something that he liked about the career and emphasized that if his

career was in the medical field then he would constantly be on call. So, to begin his journey he

took a gap year and began volunteering at a dental clinic for the homeless, this helped him gain

experience in the field and see if it was something he found interesting. Something that he

continuously mentioned was that because he was only volunteering, he couldn’t participate in

many procedures and all he could do was just observe what was going on around him. This made

observation very important, he emphasized that asking questions in these situations are
Aiman Alvi Alvi 3

Mrs. Kahlich

1st Period ISM

September 30, 2019

extremely important because obviously everything is foreign to you and if the field is something,

you’re interested in it’s important to make sure you have an idea of what the process includes.

A typical day at Just Smile, my mentor’s clinic, contains of general cleanings, cavity

fillings, and dental checkups. Dr. Riel says the reason why becoming a dentist was the best

decision for him, because he gets to spend time with his family, have his own hours, and be able

to do what he enjoys at his own practice. He says that Just Smile is exactly what he dreamed it to

be. He ends with saying that although “dentistry might become difficult at some point if it’s

something you’re really determined on doing then make sure you try your best”.

Nonetheless pursuing a career comes with hard work and determination, even if what you

aspire to be at first doesn’t go as plan make sure to always have a backup plan. Finding the right

career for you is always what’s important, no matter what happens it’s crucial to know that in the

end it’s the perfect one for you. Dr. Riel also went down this path and at the end of the day with

a lot of time and effort, according to him he’s at the perfect point of his career. Listening to his

point of view was very inspiring because it’s nice to hear that his journey wasn’t a smooth path,

but in the end he was able to reach his destination.

Aiman Alvi Alvi 4

Mrs. Kahlich

1st Period ISM

September 30, 2019

References:

Riel, Justin. Personal interview. 23 September 2019.