An act of generosity spurs a career path for first-year DDS learner

Headshot of Ave Koenig on a branded School of Dentistry background

For Avé Koenig, DDS ’28, becoming a dentist means more than choosing a career path: it’s personal.

Koenig credits her experiences growing up for introducing her to the field of dentistry. Growing up in a single-parent household with ten siblings in rural Minnesota, life wasn’t easy.

“My family struggled quite a bit financially, which made it difficult for us to succeed in life,” she said. “We really had to work with what we were given.”

That became all the more difficult when medical issues arose—like when facial trauma led to Koenig needing a root canal. None of the dentists in her town took Koenig’s family’s insurance, so the condition continued to worsen—enough for her tooth to change colors.

“Being in high school, I was pretty insecure about the color of my tooth, and I avoided smiling for a while, which took a toll on my mental health,” she recalled.

Then, something unexpected happened: though she’s not sure how, word of her tooth issue reached a dentist in a neighboring town, who reached out and offered to fix the tooth.

“Having someone reach out to offer help without incentive sparked something in me and made me feel so seen for the first time,” she recalled.

That act of generosity and the impact it had on her life inspired Koenig to begin volunteering at the dentist’s office before she began her undergraduate career. She loved it so much that she continued volunteering and shadowing general dentists and orthodontists. When it came time to choose a career path, dentistry felt like a natural choice.

The journey to dental school has not been easy for Koenig, who continued working full time throughout her undergraduate program to support her education. But she is confident in her path for the future, and knows her motivation well.

“Although in the past I may have denoted my experiences as undesirable, I am grateful for everything, as I believe it has made me into a very disciplined and empathetic person,” she reflected. “I also believe these experiences have greatly influenced my reason for pursuing dentistry: I have a strong desire to give back and show the rural and underserved communities in Minnesota that they are important, too.”

Koenig chose the School of Dentistry due to its focus on outreach and other efforts that provide “an abundance of opportunities for students to work with rural and underserved communities,” as well as the ability to “provide care for all individuals, no matter their background or situation.”

As she begins her journey, Koenig is excited for the path ahead—meeting other students, gaining excellent clinical skills and becoming an empathetic provider. She hopes to someday open her own practice in her hometown, serving as a beacon of hope for future generations, like her dentist was to her.

And every step of the way, Koenig will take with her the memory of that dentist’s act of kindness, and the awareness of how she can impact her community and beyond.
 

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