Third-Generation UMSOD Graduate鈥檚 Video is a Hit
Sitting among the thousands of graduates at the commencement on May 18 was Courtney Miyamoto, who held two distinctions among the robe-clad crowd: She became a third-generation graduate of the (UMSOD), and her retrospective video to mark the big day was unveiled during the ceremonies at Royal Farms Arena.
Courtney Miyamoto, DDS '18, (center) poses for a picture with her family, including her parents and grandmother who traveled from Hawaii. She is a third-generation 91大神 School of Dentistry graduate. Miyamoto created a retrospective video that was shown during the 91大神, Baltimore's commencement ceremony May 18, much to the delight of her fellow graduates.
Miyamoto joined her late grandfather Alan Miyamoto, DDS 鈥�62, and father Michael Miyamoto, DDS 鈥�87, as UMSOD alumni. Out in the arena, Michael was brimming with pride as he sat among a group of six family members who traveled from the states of Hawaii, Washington, and Pennsylvania to celebrate Courtney鈥檚 commencement. Her grandfather 鈥渋s with me in spirit,鈥� Miyamoto says.
With her stylish video (see below) 鈥� shot with a GoPro camera and her cellphone 鈥� Miyamoto delivered a message to the graduates of UMB鈥檚 six professional schools and interdisciplinary Graduate School: As you step forward in your new career, step back, too, and take a moment to reflect on how far you鈥檝e come, which direction you鈥檇 like to go, and appreciate the blessings in your life.
鈥淲e can get so caught up with life 鈥� exams, school requirements, payments, loans 鈥� that we can sometimes lose our path,鈥� Miyamoto says. 鈥淪o I feel that it鈥檚 important as we graduate to look at the whole picture: Recognize how far you鈥檝e come, anticipate the next step toward your future goal, be grateful and appreciate those around you, stay humble, and stick with your core values.鈥�
This message provides the tagline to the video, which was met with enthusiastic applause at commencement. Miyamoto, who鈥檚 from Kahului, Hawaii, on the island of Maui, put a Hawaiian touch to it, using the phrase E mahalo kakou i ka mea loa鈥檃 to end the four-minute presentation 鈥� let us be thankful for what we have.
鈥淚 danced hula and chanted in Hawaiian back in the day. Hawaiian tradition and culture is a big part of our way of life,鈥� Miyamoto says. 鈥淪o I wanted to end the video on a note of reflection.鈥�
Commencement and the video unveiling capped a special week for Miyamoto, who on Tuesday received the Nathan David Gold Memorial Award from UMSOD for conscientious and enthusiastic dedication to clinical practice. 鈥淐ourtney was selected for this honor by her classmates and faculty, and it is a highly regarded schoolwide award,鈥� said Karen Faraone, DDS, MA, associate dean of student affairs at the school. 鈥淪he is well-loved among her class.鈥�
Miyamoto鈥檚 video takes viewers on a tour of Baltimore landmarks before roving around the UMB campus, with shots of the schools of social work, pharmacy, nursing, law, and medicine, historic Davidge Hall, and more. It follows Courtney and her friends as they skateboard to the School of Dentistry, then takes a spin through UMSOD lecture halls and labs before closing with scenes of students having fun on ski trips and the annual school picnic with faculty and staff.
This was an offshoot of a video Miyamoto produced in 2016 to document life as a second-year dental student, wanting to give Grandpa Miyamoto and students鈥� families and friends a glimpse of life at today鈥檚 dental school. Sadly, her grandfather passed away before it was finished, but Courtney says the video was shown to subsequent incoming UMSOD classes by Andrea Morgan, DDS, the school鈥檚 director of student advocacy and cultural affairs.
This year, UMB was looking for a new video to show at the Universitywide commencement, and Faraone approached Miyamoto with the idea to revise her 2016 video and submit it for consideration.
鈥淒r. Faraone said, 鈥楾his is a great opportunity,鈥� because she saw my video from second year,鈥� Miyamoto says. 鈥淪he was the driving force to get me in contact with Vanessa Carroll, special assistant to the Dean, Mark Reynolds, to help with funding for updated video editing software.鈥�
The dean鈥檚 office helped purchase Adobe Premiere Pro software, and Miyamoto worked with the UMB Office of the President to revise her production, which uses the Craves鈥� pulsating song 鈥淏y My Side鈥� throughout. The song鈥檚 refrain: 鈥淚 can stand it all and make it go away 鈥� with you by my side.鈥�
鈥淭his upbeat song was a happy reminder of the memories created in Baltimore and in school,鈥� Miyamoto says. 鈥淚t portrays a positive message: You can face all the challenges in life with people supporting you along the way. For me, it鈥檚 my close friends, family, and, of course, Grandpa.鈥�
Miyamoto dedicated the commencement video to her grandfather, who practiced dentistry into his 80s. Her younger sister Lindsey also inspired her.
鈥淟indsey is exploring her creative side with YouTube and Instagram,鈥� Miyamoto says. 鈥淪he鈥檚 put together some very nice YouTube videos of family get-togethers and fun activities on the weekends in Hawaii. She鈥檚 my inspiration.鈥�
Clearly, family is important to Miyamoto, and six members were in attendance on May 18: her father, mother Joyce, sisters Lindsey and Caitlyn, Auntie Keala, and Grandma Miyamoto. Her grandmother, Amy, told Courtney she had been exercising back in Hawaii to get ready for this weekend, so she could walk the Baltimore campus where her late husband studied more than 50 years ago.
The next steps for Courtney? After considering applying for a residency, she鈥檚 opted to head back to Hawaii to work in her father鈥檚 practice in Wailuku. It鈥檚 a full-circle story, as she recalls doing office chores as a teen before working there as a dental assistant, business assistant, and lab technician during a gap year after graduating from the University of Hawaii at Manoa with a bachelor of arts in biology and a minor in art in 2013.
鈥淚 really missed the family, pets, and Hawaii in general, especially this past third and fourth year,鈥� Miyamoto says. 鈥淚 visited home last summer and got advice from about six dentists about plans after dental school. They recommended professional networking, keeping involved with continuing education, and working under the mentorship from my father, so I decided to head back home and join my family鈥檚 private practice and another dentist鈥檚 practice on the island.鈥�
There, she says she鈥檒l start with general dentistry 鈥� fillings, single crowns, bridges, extractions 鈥� and plans to one day bring oral health care to underserved populations in Hawaii, fulfilling UMB鈥檚 mission to improve the human condition and serve the public good.
鈥淲orking in an FQHC [federally qualified health center] during an externship really opened my eyes to working in this area of dentistry one day, or at least helping to provide affordable or free dental services to the underserved,鈥� Miyamoto says. 鈥淚鈥檓 happy I鈥檓 in this field as a career, working with great mentors in improving people鈥檚 oral health and lives.鈥�
