Justin is from California and earned a bachelor’s degree in World Literature. In college, Justin spent a year studying abroad in Denmark and, after graduation, spent a year teaching English in China before returning to the U.S. to pursue a career in dentistry.

“I traveled to China with the intention of testing out the career that, at the time, I wanted to pursue: education. For me, this was a great decision because I ultimately discovered that I wanted to pursue another path, and after careful thought I landed on dentistry as an option. I chose dentistry because of the ability to be independent, to be a helpful, core asset to a small community, and because I like working with my hands. After volunteering in a hospital in Shanghai and shadowing a dentist in California, I knew that this was the career that I wanted to pursue.

“The focus on research is what sets this program apart for me. At Bennington, you are expected to engage constantly with research, including your own research projects as well as reading research papers in every class. This sort of work makes you think like a scientist and makes you think critically about every concept you are learning in your classes.”