Internship Spotlight: Temple Fajardo
Why did you join K2 Dental Arts 4 years ago and why did you stay?
I discovered K2 Dental Arts in a JMU pre-health email about an internship opportunity my junior year of college. I was an aspiring dentist, so this looked like the perfect unique experience - and it was! I began as one of the first K2 interns where I developed skills in general dentistry, intra-oral scanning, strategic thinking, and team collaboration. After my internship, I came back for more! I joined full-time after I graduated college and had four more wonderful years with the team. My K2 experience encouraged me to strengthen my leadership skills and grow into roles I never thought I could master. By the end of my time with K2, I could effectively advise dentists with possible solutions at the lab. It was always personally rewarding to help our clients because the dentists I wanted to become were asking me for solutions. The roles at K2 span further than just dental knowledge. There are many opportunities to figure out what roles you like, which you want to develop, and which become obstacles that you will overcome with the team. The start-up structure allows for maximum professional development, if you take the opportunities in front of you. Because most of the responsibilities are building the foundation of the company, you will be a pioneer in your roles. With all this being said, I spent four years with K2 because of the endless growth potential and supportive team. What do you love most about the work at K2 Dental Arts and why? The team dynamic is incredibly special with K2. There is a substantial amount of support from each team member to tackle obstacles and creatively solve problems. I always enjoyed bouncing ideas off one another to come up with the best solution. A team environment like this one will push you to work as hard as the person next to you. What was your greatest accomplishment / your favorite moment (pick one) at K2 Dental Arts? My greatest accomplishment with K2 would be the creation of the 75 page educational guide, which is used to train new employees and help team members understand dental concepts. This felt like my greatest accomplishment because the information can now be easily accessed to provide quick assistance for our clients, which was a goal of mine. My favorite memory at K2 would have to be our company beach trip! We were all so appreciative of each other and I will always remember that! Do you have recommendations for young graduates who want to work at a young and fast-growing company? Do it! One of the most rewarding things you can do is join a company in its early stages. The more opportunities you explore, the more you will get out of the experience. I would suggest looking at the big picture within the company and think within each task how could I improve company functionality. Ideas are encouraged! When you meticulously complete your roles you will know better than most if there is a more efficient/quicker way to do something. |