Raven Landry’s journey from school employee to dentist

As Raven Landry embarks on another rigorous day of dental school, she hears the sound of tiny feet pattering across the floor, a sound she’s heard nearly every morning since starting at UTHealth Houston School of Dentistry.

For the past four years, Landry’s balanced the demands of being both a single mother and dental school student, but that’s all about to change as she prepares to graduate. Landry is not just earning a degree, she’s fulfilling a lifelong dream while setting an example for her 5-year-old daughter, Irielle.

A journey years in the making

Landry’s path to dentistry has been anything but conventional. After graduating from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, she moved to Houston in 2013 and spent eight years completing dental pre-requisite courses and working as a patient care coordinator at the very institution where she would later study.

“I applied to dental school twice and was finally accepted the second time around,” the Georgia native said. “I’ve been here for four years as a student. Before that, I was an employee for eight years.”

Her road to dentistry started when she was just 17, participating in a high school co-op program that allowed her to shadow various health care professionals. Dentistry stood out as a perfect blend of science, art, and patient care.

A mother’s determination

Balancing dental school is a challenge in itself, but Landry has done so with unwavering faith while raising Irielle. She discovered she was expecting just after submitting her first dental school application and gave birth shortly before her initial interview.

“Irielle has been with me the whole ride,” Landry said. “She’s a mini-dentist now.”

Landry’s days begin at 5 a.m. in Humble, when she prepares both herself and her daughter for the day ahead. Between lectures, lab work, and clinic rotations, she ensures that Irielle’s needs are met, often studying late into the night after putting her to bed.

“There were days I didn’t know how I was going to make it,” she admitted. “But every little bit of help, from scholarships to faculty support, has made a difference.”

Finding a support system

Landry credits her parents, the faculty and staff at the School of Dentistry for their unwavering support throughout her academic journey.

“The faculty here really care about the students, not just academically, but personally,” Landry said. “They’ve been my (work) family for eight years. They’ve seen me as an employee, a student, and a mother. They even threw me a baby shower.”

Scholarships also played a crucial role in easing her financial burden as a single parent. Landry received the UTSD Student Emergency Scholarship in 2023 and the Alliance of the Texas Dental Association Endowed Memorial Scholarship in 2024.

“I moved out on my own with my daughter my first year,” Landry said. “Financial aid only goes so far, and daycare alone is $1,200 a month. There were times I didn’t know how I would keep going, but scholarships helped keep me in school and keep my daughter in daycare.”

Looking toward the future

As she prepares to graduate in the coming weeks, Landry describes the upcoming moment as “surreal.” The institution that has been her home for over a decade is now a stepping stone to her future.

“I try not to think about it too much, but it’s going to be emotional,” Landry said. “I didn’t think it would take me eight years to get back into school. It’s been a long road.”

While she hasn’t landed on a particular associateship just yet after graduation, Landry is excited about exploring different areas of dentistry before possibly opening her own practice.

“I want to get my feet wet, sharpen my skills and see what area I gravitate toward,” Landry said. “Maybe one day I’ll own a practice with associates, but for now, I just want to keep learning and exploring all areas of dentistry.”

A lesson in perseverance

For Landry, the most rewarding part of her journey has been setting an example for her daughter. Irielle may not fully grasp the sacrifices her mother has made, but she proudly tells her pre-K classmates, “My mom’s a dentist!”

“She gets it in her own way,” Landry said. “I tell her, ‘Mom’s got to study,’ and she’ll say, ‘What do you have to study?’ She knows we both have to go to school. Some days she doesn’t want to go, and I tell her, ‘I don’t want to go either, but we have to.’”

Looking back on the road she traveled, Landry hopes to inspire future students, particularly those facing similar challenges.

“If a single mom who drives 50 miles (roundtrip) a day can do it, you can do it too,” Landry said. “You just have to keep the faith while figuring out a way to get it done.”