Emely Cepeda: CYOS 2020

The smells of garlic and cilantro in rice and beans fill her nostrils every time she travels home to her family kitchen. For as long as she could remember, Emely Cepeda’s parents would take any opportunity to teach her about the cooking culture of their native Dominican Republic. From making flan to stirring huge pots of sancocho (a traditional meat stew), her love for using her hands to create was born at home and nurtured through travels to connect with family in the D.R. Emely attended Whittier Regional Vocational Technical High School in Haverhill, Massachusetts and focused on the culinary arts, which refined her passion for cooking food and trained her hands to become steady and accurate to create beautiful dishes. Emely believes the practice with delicate hand movements in the kitchen is directly tied to her professional goal: becoming a pediatric dentist. “Food and dentistry are alike in so many ways, and the precision and care needed in both fields parallel one another. You must have a delicate hand when presenting food and when working on a patient. You must also maintain organization and sterility,” she says.  

Emely found her passion for dentistry and leadership at UNH. She joined the Pre-Dental Society, and became an officer, leading the organization on tours of dental schools and volunteer trips to free dental clinics. She has held numerous internships, as well as job-shadowing and work positions in dental practices and clinics and is currently preparing for the grueling five-hour Dental Admissions Test. 

As a young Latinx woman coming from a vocational secondary school and a family of modest means, she faced the pressures of assimilating as a first-generation student along with financial burdens in her initial months at UNH. Her participation in the CONNECT program provided a deep foundation for her grounding and growth as a scholar and a leader. CONNECT is a long standing UNH orientation and support program for students from diverse backgrounds which begins the weeks before classes start for incoming freshmen, packed with mini courses, introductions to the many support systems at UNH, and ongoing activities to build an interdependent community. Emely created deep friendships as CONNECT evolved into the launching pad for her UNH experiences in the following four years.  

“The CONNECT program has opened so many doors for me, doors that I would have been too afraid to open without the support of the staff and my peers. The TREAT Fellowship program, MOSAICO, and the creation of Caribbean Cats  Dance Team have all been inspired by my CONNECT involvement.” Emely eventually became a CONNECT Mentor, and then was promoted to one of three team leader roles, a key position charged with the running of complex experiences for more than 100 students and staff and creating a smooth transition to the academic and social worlds at UNH. 

Emely’s engagement in student organizations is broad and deep. Her leadership ability was fully evident in her co-founding of the Caribbean Cats, a dance group that represents various Latinx and Afro-Caribbean cultures through expressive movement. She has also been involved since her first year in MOSAICO, the support group for Latinx students and allies with a focus on culture, history and camaraderie. Emely has also burnished her skills as a group facilitator through the TREAT Fellowship, a program given the charge to ‘conduct meaningful conversations promoting equity, diversity and shared understanding with individuals from different social identities.’ All of this on top of the rigor of intensive courses like Pathogenic Microbiology and Organic Chemistry for her Biomedical Sciences degree. 

Emely’s global perspective and desire to work in underserved communities led her to raise funds for travel to Panama as part of a volunteer Global Brigades immersion into rural communities. She assisted in dental and medical care for all ages.  

“Words cannot express the impact that the families in rural Panama have had on my life and goals,” says Emely. “They influenced my desire to become a pediatric dentist and motivated me to educate people in my own community about the importance of dental care.” 

In January she spent a J-term class in Cuba — another UNH opportunity that contributed to her global outlook.  

 “UNH has given me endless opportunities to define my niche, find my academic and professional purpose, and ultimately create my own story. I hope to inspire others to do the same.” With graduation in May 2020, Emely’s immediate plans are to work and save money, her energy focused on her applications to dental school. “I aim to increase accessibility to dental care and be the dentist who will bring the smile back. I have chosen the right path.”