2021 - 2022 CSUF Pre-Dental Society's Executive Board
Hello everyone! My name is Kimia Firoozi and I am the President of the Pre-Dental Society here at California State University, Fullerton. I transferred from Fullerton College in the Fall of 2017 and have been part of the Pre-Dental Society ever since. I am currently a junior majoring in Cell and Developmental Biology with a minor in Chemistry.
When I was younger I knew I wanted to be a doctor and an artist on the side. When I started college, my brother had just graduated from dental school so after talking to him and some other family members, I did my research and decided it was the perfect career for me. Dentistry combines all my different passions and interests. Shortly after, I started shadowing a dentist and instantly fell in love with the career. I started to get more involved in dentistry and attended many events and dental programs. With dentistry, not only do I get to improve people’s oral health and relieve their pain, I also get to build long term relationships and hopefully go on mission trips to help people in other parts of the world! Helping others is my biggest passion which is why I have chosen this career path and why I do many volunteer work on the side. My goal is to organize events and find the correct volunteering opportunities to ensure we can get the best experiences and learning opportunities possible!
Some of my hobbies include painting, going to the movies, spending time with family and friends, volunteering, learning about other cultures, and playing different sports!
President
Kimia Firoozi
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Vice President
Lauren Ballesteros
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Hi, my name is Lauren Ballesteros and I am the new Vice President for the Pre-Dental Society at Cal State Fullerton.
I am a fourth year biological science major, with a minor in anthropology. I joined PDS because I believe it is a great way to make connections with others, while learning more about what it takes to get into dental programs at various schools.
I previously wanted to be an orthodontist, but am now leaning toward becoming a general dentist, because I think it falls more in line with what I want to do in the future, and that is to give back not only to my own community, but to communities across our borders as well.
Aside from school work, I enjoy watching Mork and Mindy, listening to the RX Bandits, hanging out with friends, and taking my dog out on hikes.
If you have any questions and believe I can assist you, please feel free to contact me.
Treasurer
Gerimae del Rosario
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Hi everyone! My name is Gerimae del Rosario and I am the 2018- 2019 Treasurer for CSUF’s Pre- Dental Society. I am a third year with a health science major and a minor in Pre-Health Professions.
In the future I plan on becoming an orthodontist and helping those who are in need. My goal is to help others boost their confidence with their smiles.
I have been a part of this club since my first year, and I have learned so much about the field of Dentistry and how to successfully prepare myself for applying to dental school. Being a part of this club has taught me so much, and I hope you can get something out of it too.
When I am not in class, I enjoy playing tennis and being a part of the CSUF’s tennis club. I love to go to Disneyland with my friends and my boyfriend, and I love finding aesthetic places to take pictures at. When I am not out and about I like spending time watching movies/shows, listening to music, and trying out new makeup looks.
I wish everyone the best of luck this school year, and please feel free to contact me for any questions or if you just want to chat. Thank you!
Dental Outreach Coordinator
Stephanie Kim
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Hi! My name is Stephanie Kim, and I am in CSUF’s post-baccalaureate program. I recently made the switch from pre-med to pre-dental, and I can’t be happier to have finally found my passion and calling in life. And this is thanks to PDS! I currently volunteer at a dental clinic in Buena Park that has a heart for the underserved community. Feel free to ask me more about it, whether you want to volunteer or receive check-ups and treatments! In my free time, I run; watch The Office, Korean dramas, and romantic comedy movies; and enjoy eating food with the people I love. I love all kinds of food, especially sushi, instant spicy ramen, and ice cream. I'm also a huge fan of dogs and stationary!
Hi everyone! My name is Ivan Cortes, and I am a senior majoring in health science with a minor in chemistry. I will be this semester's second dental outreach coordinator.
I have always been interested in health and the many aspects that affect a person's health. My interests in health lead me to pursue a career in healthcare, and it wasn't until my second year in college that I knew dentistry was the right fit for me. In the future, I plan on becoming a general dentist with a focus on cosmetics.
When I am not at school or in my research lab, I love doing outdoor activities like backcountry backpacking trips, scuba diving, hiking, and skeet shooting.
If I can assist you in any way feel free to reach out, I love to meet new people.
Dental Outreach Coordinator
Ivan Cortes
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My name is Kristin Kepley and I am the volunteer coordinator for the Pre-Dental Society at Cal State Fullerton. I am a fifth-year biochemistry major and this is my second semester at CSUF and in PDS. I transferred to CSUF from Fullerton College this year. When I started here, I could not wait to join PDS as a way to further my pre-dental career. It has been wonderful for making connections as well as gaining knowledge and experience. I want to become a dentist because it is a career that meets all of the criteria for my dream job. It works closely with people, improves their lives, allows flexible hours, provides challenging and interesting cases every day, and beautifully combines science and art. I spend much of my time volunteering in Fullerton. This is something I have become very passionate about and I hope to spread that to PDS and leave a positive impact on the members of our community.
Dental Volunteer Coordinator
Kristin Kepley
Secretary
Jenessa Marquez
Hi everyone, my name is Jenessa Marquez and I am a third-year Biological Science major and this year’s secretary for Pre-Dental Society. My love for dentistry first started when I went to my local dentist to change the rubber bands for my braces. This of course may not be your typical start of a dentistry career journey, but this simple procedure unexpectedly fascinated and excited me. In addition, I appreciated how the dental associates were so nice and welcoming. That was the start of my dental journey. I first started shadowing a dentist during the summer after my senior year in high school, and long after that, I continued to intern and shadow dentists for a total of three years. Fortunately, I was eventually given the opportunity to work at a dental office as a dental associate and receptionist. Working alongside with a dentist during procedures has allowed me to enhance my learning in dentistry and provided me with hands-on experience that only served to increase my passion for dentistry. Besides my involvements in dentistry, I am a youth leader for High School students at Saint Justin Martyr and I am also active in several clubs on campus which include: Titan Catholic, P.A.S.A, and the professional Biology Fraternity Beta Psi Omega.
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During my free time, I enjoy playing piano, singing, and going on food adventures and to concerts. If you ever need anything too or have any questions don’t be shy and feel free to ask me, I am always willing to help!
Hi everyone, my name is Britney Doan, I’m a second year, a public health science major and your new webmaster/publicity coordinator.
I joined the Pre-dental Society not only to explore the field of Dentistry and how to become a successful applicant but to also build connections and make relationships with people who have the same passion as I do. My goal is to ensure that by spreading the word on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc. is to welcome students to our club and the opportunities it has to offer for those interested in Dentistry.
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I found my love of Dentistry through my parents. Throughout many years I’ve traveled with them to underprivileged communities in Vietnam, where they’ve touched so many lives with the work that they do. In the future, I hope to do the same as a general practitioner. As for right now, I continue to go with them on their mobile care trips not only shadowing them but also showing young children in Vietnam proper oral hygiene instructions.
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On my free time I enjoy reading, photography, watching old, classic movies or some of my favorite TV shows like Friends, Gilmore Girls, and Greys Anatomy.
When I’m not at home or in class I love trying different kinds of food, swimming, running and spending time with my friends and family.
If you need anything or have any questions please feel free to ask me, my door is always open!
Dental Publicity Coordinator
Britney Doan
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Hello my name is Gabriel Kalash and I am the Social and Fundraising Coordinator for the Pre-Dental Club at California State Fullerton! I am a Fifth year Biology major and I believe that pineapple goes on pizza. In my spare time, I like to watch and participate in sports. Soccer is my favorite and I support The Egyptian National Soccer Team until my last breath. I will not bite so do not be afraid to say hello!
I first became interested in Dentistry when I was a freshman in college. That year I got my braces removed and it opened up my life to new experiences I was afraid of before. That is the type of change I want to introduce to other people who have been in my position before. I believe that having a great smile gives people the confidence they need to take on the world and I would like nothing better than to be that person that helps them to that goal.
Social/ Fundraising Coordinator
Gabriel Kalash
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Hey Everyone! My name is Christian Allen Velarde. I am currently a fourth year at California State University Fullerton. I am majoring in Health Science and minoring in Chemistry. I have been an active member in the CSUF Pre-Dental Society for three years and am now starting my fourth year as the new ICC representative for this club.
For this upcoming school year, I am looking forward to distribute the information about the career of dentistry and inform others about how they can apply to dental schools. In addition, for this semester, I am also looking forward to welcoming new pre-dental students into the program while providing a welcoming atmosphere. This way, this will leave an impact on their journey to become a dentist, allow them to enjoy their experience in this club based on outreach programs, and encourage them to be more active in the club. I also want to work on getting our club noticed and promote the dental track to other students who are not sure about what they want to do.
Although my aunt had some influence on my career choice, it did not really hit me until I was making a memorial video of my best friend when he passed away. It was at this point, that I realized that he did not take many pictures due to the insecurity he had with his smile and the diseases he had acquired from improper hygiene. So, in the near future, I want to be able to alleviate this insecurity from many people around the world. Other than that, when it came to dentistry, I fell in love with the way art meets science. Also, in dentistry, I love how building a relationship with patients is important because it is similar to providing great customer service with regular customers. This way, more and more dentists become happier with this profession from the people they encounter and the relationships that they build. Patients will also return or reward the dentist of their hard work by referring others to the clinic in the future. Lastly, I love how dentists not only educate the public about proper hygiene, but they are also able to see the patient’s results from before and compare it to after.
Other than that, my hobbies include photography, cooking, video games, watching anime, playing basketball, working out, and modifying cars.
I am open to any questions you may have. Please do not be scared to contact me and send me an email. I am here to help anybody out in anyway.
Pre-Dental Society NSM ICC Rep
Christian Allen Velarde
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