How a St. Mike’s alumna uses her skills – and voice – for progress in her dentistry profession
Long before Emily Tarr 鈥18 graced the cover of Arizona Dental Association鈥檚听Inscriptions听magazine,听she had听all but听sworn off dentistry as her profession.听听
She spent much of her childhood hanging out in her mom鈥檚 dental practice听thinking听that it听didn鈥檛听have the same luster as other possibilities.听She spent her time at St. Mike鈥檚 dabbling in a听variety of interests听during听undergrad听and听even taking some time off to show horses in Germany.听Ultimately, this听all听led听Tarr听back to where she started 鈥 swirling around in a dental chair.听
It may have been a circuitous path, but Tarr feels it was a valuable journey 鈥 one that clarified her direction and gave her lifelong tools she may not have gained otherwise.听Now, due to her ambition听in dental school听and advocacy work to听improve听the profession, she is being听heralded听as a shining example of the future of dentistry.听听听
St. Mike鈥檚听undergrads听go on听to medical field training, advanced degrees,听and听professional听licenses听
Cover Girl: Emily Tarr ’18 graces the cover of Arizona Dental Association’s Inscriptions magazine due to her advocacy work while she was a dental student. (Photo courtesy Arizona Dental Association)
At the end of听last听June, Tarr was a couple听weeks听into seeing patients听鈥 doing fillings, dentures,听and听root canals. It was听a culmination of听years of work听receiving her undergraduate degree in Biology at St. Mike鈥檚, with minors in Chemistry and Business Administration, and completing dental school in Arizona.听In all,听eight听years of education and some听extra听time to discover her path.听听
鈥淚t鈥檚 definitely been a journey, but I鈥檝e loved the journey,鈥 she said.听听
While in dental school, Tarr became involved in advocacy work, including lobbying legislators in Congress in Washington, D.C. and听at the Arizona State Capitol in Phoenix.听
One of the issues she has focused on is dental school affordability. Between obtaining a bachelor鈥檚 degree and completing dental school, the high cost of education can exclude many students from pursuing medical careers 鈥 and for those who do, they can enter their working life hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt. 听
鈥淚鈥檓 sitting here because I had the opportunity, but how many other people that were amazing candidates for the dental career didn鈥檛 feel able to take on that debt?鈥澨齌arr听asked. 鈥淲e are such a better industry for dental when we can include everyone and anyone who has the ability and desire 鈥 those are the people I really want in the industry.鈥听
Insurance reform is the other major issue where she has听focused听her lobbying efforts.听听
鈥淲e need to help our patients, so if we can鈥檛 do that well 鈥 because we鈥檙e being dictated that we can鈥檛 do a crown on that tooth because it鈥檚 been three years, but it鈥檚 fractured 鈥 we need to be able to say 鈥榯his needs to be done. This is best for the patient,鈥欌 she described. 听
Tarr听said she and her听cohort听of new dentists听are caretakers of this profession until the next group of practitioners come in.听So,听it鈥檚听important to听her to听support听and听protect听the profession as well as make sustainable adjustments that improve both patient care and the听dental occupation听to which听she has dedicated her working life.听
St.听Mike鈥檚听provided听tools and confidence to succeed in dental school and beyond听
Tarr attributes St. Mike鈥檚 for setting her up for success in her health career and fondly recalls key moments that helped her unlock her potential and see the potential in others.听
She described the community atmosphere that made her feel comfortable going to a professor鈥檚 office any time she needed听assistance.听听
Emily Tarr ’18 went on to dental school after receiving her degree in Biology from St. Mike’s. Upon entering her career, she was lauded for her advocacy work to improve the profession. She was featured in a May 2025 cover article for Inscriptions magazine, published by the Arizona Dental Associaton. (Photo courtesy Arizona Dental Association.)
Late in her educational career, she decided she wanted to add a second minor in Business Administration on top of her demanding science studies. Tarr hadn鈥檛 taken the business requirements needed for upper-level courses, but through Business Professor Karen Popovich鈥檚 help and some Accelerated Summer Courses, she was able to make it work. 听
鈥淚nstead of saying 鈥榠t鈥檚 not possible, you鈥檒l have to do another semester,鈥 [Popovich] said, 鈥榶es, I鈥檓 willing to help you if you hold up your end of the deal,鈥欌 Tarr explained. 鈥淚 had people in multiple departments say, 鈥楢lright 鈥 I believe in you.鈥欌听
That belief from others extended to belief in herself. She recalled听another example听involving Biology and Neuroscience Professor Ruth Fabian-Fine. Tarr was struggling with a science paper that included listing individual steps. Fabian-Fine suggested Tarr start with writing instructions for how to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich without using pronouns.听 听
鈥淭hat day is a turning point,鈥 Tarr said. 鈥淲ith her sitting down and giving me that opportunity, I realize I wasn鈥檛 just dumb 鈥 I needed to figure out how to learn my way.鈥澨听
Tarr听uses听that experience when she听speaks听with patients听so they can understand procedures and their own health. When she sees a glazed look on their face,听she said听she tries to find what will unlock understanding for them 鈥 whether听it鈥檚听a person who needs a visual听representation,听auditory communication, or someone with an engineer-like brain who wants all the mechanical details.听听
鈥淭hat was Ruth 鈥 she taught me that I can do pretty much anything with an open mind,鈥 she said.听
Seeing capability in others was something else she experienced first-hand in her final semester when she was injured. She cracked her pelvis during a听horse-riding听incident that resulted in her horse landing on top of her.听After calling听911, she听was shocked to see three听very familiar听faces come to her aid 鈥 all members of the Saint Michael鈥檚 College Rescue Squad听who, like her,听were studying to be health professionals.听听
鈥淭o see my classmates that sat next to me be the ones picking me up and making sure that I didn鈥檛 have a cervical fracture 鈥 it was pretty cool,鈥 she said. Tarr called it a full-circle moment.听
She reflected on that experience, combined with how accommodating her professors were as she finished up her graduation requirements while in recovery, saying, 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think that would have happened at another institution.鈥听
Tarr feels grateful to the people who gave her the opportunity to succeed and wishes to extend that to others, particularly to those who may be interested in dentistry. She encourages folks to reach out to her on Instagram at . 听
You can read the听feature story听about her in听.听Find her on the cover and听on听pages 8 through 11.听听
For all press inquiries contact Elizabeth Murray, Associate Director of Communications at 少女福利.
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