On Oct. 28, Dr. Geralyn Crain, assistant dean for educational support and faculty development at the East Carolina University School of Dental Medicine, visited Lisa Adams’ eighth-grade careers class at Chocowinity Middle School to discuss her dental career.

Crain told students that her interest in dentistry started when she was in high school and got braces. When she went to the orthodontist, she was intrigued, which led her into a career she loves. She practiced dentistry for years until a neck injury no longer allowed her to work on patients. After her injury, she went into the dental-teaching profession.

Her office oversees the services available to students to support their advancement through the curriculum, and it manages faculty-development needs such as tenure and promotion and continuing education for faculty and community dentists.

Crain answered students’ questions about how many years of college are needed for dentistry, what courses and extracurricular activities they could do now to prepare them for high school and beyond and about certain dental procedures.

In addition to Crain, Dave Jordan with WITN-TV, Dr. Timothy Klugh with Eye Care Center in Washington and Shannon White from First Citizens Bank have talked about their careers with Adams’ eighth-grade students.