A North East Independence School District Great Graduate’s passion for his grandfather’s health created a passion for him to serve his country through dental medicine.
A North East Independence School District Great Graduate’s passion for his grandfather’s health created a passion for him to serve his country through dental medicine.
Johnson High School Senior Noah Garza was surprised when he got the news that he was selected as a KSAT Great Graduate.
“I am very proud,” he said. “I got a message from my teacher and was like, ‘Holy cow!’ I would never expect this to happen (in) my senior year.”
Garza has been beyond active in his education.
“Right now, I am a dental assistant, I work part-time at Home Depot, and I am an athlete,” he said.
His life will be even busier after graduation when he heads off to Gustavus Adolphus College in Minnesota to be a kicker for the Golden Gusties.
“I have been playing sports since I was three (years old),” he said. “I played lots of sports. Baseball. Soccer. Football. It taught me what it is to be a human being and go through adversity, and I feel like I have grown as a person.”
Garza found that the adversity in his grandfather’s life also sparked his passion to enter the dental industry.
“My grandpa is from Guadalajara, Mexico, and never had the best care of his teeth,” Garza said. “That led to a lot of his health problems (and a) couple of heart surgeries. That opened my eyes as far as how important dental health is.”
Today, his grandfather, who no longer struggles with his dental health, is beyond proud of him.
“He is very excited,” Garza said. “He is very positive and always asking me questions every day. I am always sending him recommendations.”
Garza said he recognizes there is a difference between football and dentistry, but he believes the two are very alike in one challenging way.
“It is a mental game,” he said. “Like with kicking, you have to block out the crowd. It is just you and the ball. Here in dental, it is you and their teeth and (the) instrument(s). You have to lock in.”
Garza said his ultimate goal is to go into orthodontics in the military and open his own practice afterwards.
“You don’t need to be on the field using guns,” he said. “You can be in hospitals serving patients. That is a different way, but you are still in the military serving your country.”
As he walks across the stage on May 24, he has this message for his fellow classmates.
“It is going to be a difficult process this next chapter of our lives, but the biggest thing is to keep believing in ourselves to try to give greatness and having a positive attitude,” he said. “Don’t let anyone bring you down. You are your own person and being. You got to follow the path you were given, and you just got to keep working at it. Go through adversity and never give up. Keep on believing.”
Last but not least, he credits his parents for being the driven man he is today.
“The biggest people who pushed me toward my goal is my parents,” Garza said. “They really pushed me to my goals and working hard every single day with grit and that is what kind of led me over here.”
