I did not always want to be an orthodontist. I did consider dentistry or possibly medicine as a career choice after completing a 9th grade science project on "Which toothpaste whitens the best?". However, when it was time to go off to college, I could not imagine going to school for another 8+ years, so I decided to get an engineering degree. After graduating from North Carolina State University with degrees in Chemical Engineering and Pulp and Paper Science, I was fortunate to get a great job working for Rayonier in Fernandina Beach, FL, near my hometown.