Marquette Dentistry Student Makes History as First African-American Class President

Chante Parker has been named the first African-American class president in Marquette University`s School of Dentistry 125 years of existence.

CHANTE PARKER IS COMFORTBALECHANTE PARKER IS COMFORTBALEWITH DENTAL TOOLS IN HANDWITH DENTAL TOOLS IN HANDWITH DENTAL TOOLS IN HANDBUT BEING THE FIRST AFRICANWITH DENTAL TOOLS IN HANDBUT BEING THE FIRST AFRICANAMERICAN CLASS PRESIDENT FORBUT BEING THE FIRST AFRICANAMERICAN CLASS PRESIDENT FORBUT BEING THE FIRST AFRICANAMERICAN CLASS PRESIDENT FORMARQUETTE DENTAL SCHOOLAMERICAN CLASS PRESIDENT FORMARQUETTE DENTAL SCHOOLMARQUETTE DENTAL SCHOOLMARQUETTE DENTAL SCHOOL' I JUST DONT BELIEVE THAT ITSMARQUETTE DENTAL SCHOOL' I JUST DONT BELIEVE THAT ITSME SOMETIMES.'' I JUST DONT BELIEVE THAT ITSME SOMETIMES.'' I JUST DONT BELIEVE THAT ITSME SOMETIMES.'IS STILL SINKING IN.ME SOMETIMES.'IS STILL SINKING IN.IS STILL SINKING IN.IS STILL SINKING IN.'I DIDNT KNOW THAT I WOULD BE'I DIDNT KNOW THAT I WOULD BE'I DIDNT KNOW THAT I WOULD BETHE FIRST BLACK PERSON TO HOLD A'I DIDNT KNOW THAT I WOULD BETHE FIRST BLACK PERSON TO HOLD APOSITION - IT JUST IT LITERALLYTHE FIRST BLACK PERSON TO HOLD APOSITION - IT JUST IT LITERALLYTHE FIRST BLACK PERSON TO HOLD APOSITION - IT JUST IT LITERALLYWAS SOMETHINGPOSITION - IT JUST IT LITERALLYWAS SOMETHINGWAS SOMETHINGTHAT WAS JUST STUMBLED UPON.'PARKER'S BEEN CLASS PRESIDENTPARKER'S BEEN CLASS PRESIDENTSINCE JULY OF LAST YEAR -- ANDPARKER'S BEEN CLASS PRESIDENTSINCE JULY OF LAST YEAR -- ANDSERVES AS ANSINCE JULY OF LAST YEAR -- ANDSERVES AS ANSERVES AS ANAMBASSADOR FOR HER CLASS TOAMBASSADOR FOR HER CLASS TOCREATE NEW INITIATIVES FOR THECREATE NEW INITIATIVES FOR THECREATE NEW INITIATIVES FOR THEDENTAL SCHOOL.

SHE HAD NO IDEADENTAL SCHOOL.

SHE HAD NO IDEASHE'D BE THE FIRST AFRICANDENTAL SCHOOL.

SHE HAD NO IDEASHE'D BE THE FIRST AFRICANAMERICAN TO STEP INTO THOSESHE'D BE THE FIRST AFRICANAMERICAN TO STEP INTO THOSESHE'D BE THE FIRST AFRICANAMERICAN TO STEP INTO THOSESHOES INAMERICAN TO STEP INTO THOSESHOES INSHOES INTHE SCHOOL'S 125 YEARS.THE SCHOOL'S 125 YEARS.'THINGS ARE HAPPENING HERE THAT'THINGS ARE HAPPENING HERE THAT'THINGS ARE HAPPENING HERE THATSHOW THAT WE ARE AN INCLUSIVESHOW THAT WE ARE AN INCLUSIVESHOW THAT WE ARE AN INCLUSIVEPLACE FOR STUDENTS TO THRIVE ANDPLACE FOR STUDENTS TO THRIVE ANDPEOPLE TO THRIVE.'PEOPLE TO THRIVE.'PARKER GREW UP IN ATLANTA ANDCOMPLETED HER UNDERGRADUATECOMPLETED HER UNDERGRADUATEDEGREE AT THE UNIVERSITY OFCOMPLETED HER UNDERGRADUATEDEGREE AT THE UNIVERSITY OFMIAMI.DEGREE AT THE UNIVERSITY OFMIAMI.DEGREE AT THE UNIVERSITY OFMIAMI.SO SHE SAYS MOVING TO MILWAUKEEMIAMI.SO SHE SAYS MOVING TO MILWAUKEESO SHE SAYS MOVING TO MILWAUKEESO SHE SAYS MOVING TO MILWAUKEEWAS A CULTURE SHOCK AFTERSO SHE SAYS MOVING TO MILWAUKEEWAS A CULTURE SHOCK AFTEREXPERIENCINGWAS A CULTURE SHOCK AFTEREXPERIENCINGEXPERIENCINGSEGREGATION IN THE CITY.'IT WAS JUST REALLY SHOCKING TO'IT WAS JUST REALLY SHOCKING TOME TO SEE THAT THIS IS WHERE WEME TO SEE THAT THIS IS WHERE WEME TO SEE THAT THIS IS WHERE WEARE IN MODERN DAY TIME.'ARE IN MODERN DAY TIME.'BEING HANDS-ON HELPS PARKERBEING HANDS-ON HELPS PARKERLEARN HOW TO CREATE BEAUTIFULBEING HANDS-ON HELPS PARKERLEARN HOW TO CREATE BEAUTIFULSMILES -- WHILE SHELEARN HOW TO CREATE BEAUTIFULSMILES -- WHILE SHESMILES -- WHILE SHEHOPES TO BRING SMILES TO THECOMMUNITY BY SETTING AN EXAMPLE.COMMUNITY BY SETTING AN EXAMPLE.AS PARKER PREPS A CROWN -- SOMEAS PARKER PREPS A CROWN -- SOMEAS PARKER PREPS A CROWN -- SOMEMIGHT SAY SHE WEARS ONE HERSELFAS PARKER PREPS A CROWN -- SOMEMIGHT SAY SHE WEARS ONE HERSELFAS AMIGHT SAY SHE WEARS ONE HERSELFAS AMIGHT SAY SHE WEARS ONE HERSELFAS ACATALYST FOR AN INCLUSIVEMIGHT SAY SHE WEARS ONE HERSELFAS ACATALYST FOR AN INCLUSIVECOMMUNITY.AS ACATALYST FOR AN INCLUSIVECOMMUNITY.CATALYST FOR AN INCLUSIVECOMMUNITY.CATALYST FOR AN INCLUSIVECOMMUNITY.'TO HELP SHIFT THAT DYNAMIC ANDCOMMUNITY.'TO HELP SHIFT THAT DYNAMIC AND'TO HELP SHIFT THAT DYNAMIC AND'TO HELP SHIFT THAT DYNAMIC ANDCHANGE THE PERSPECTIVE AND SHOWCHANGE THE PERSPECTIVE AND SHOWCHANGE THE PERSPECTIVE AND SHOWTHAT BLACK PEOPLE CAN DO WELLTHAT BLACK PEOPLE CAN DO WELLYOU CAN DO ANYTHING THAT YOUYOU CAN DO ANYTHING THAT YOUWANT TO DO.'WANT TO DO.'