(Seguin) – It’s not every day that products of Seguin graduate and then return home to serve as a professional in their community especially when that professional is a doctor. With jobs in the health field already being limited and competitive, this year’s welcoming of Dr. Kelsey Reyes to the office of Dr. George Walker, DDS & Associates has already been rewarding for the 2012 Seguin High School graduate.
Dr. Reyes, officially made the return home this summer after attending the University of Incarnate Word and then the UT Health Science Center School of Dentistry in San Antonio, where she earned her Doctor of Dental Surgery with distinction in dental education.
Dr. Reyes says her journey these last eight years is the result of a passion that she’s held onto ever since she was a child.
“My passion for dentistry, it began when I was younger, and I continued through high school. I was still interested in the dental field and I remember when I was in college, I decided to observe some of the different specialties in the dental field, so I still had a huge passion for it. I fell in love with it even more and then I applied to all three dental schools in Texas. I wanted to stay in Texas so I didn’t apply anywhere out of state and I decided to go to the UT Health Science Center in San Antonio so luckily, I was blessed to get in on my first try,” said Dr. Reyes.
Dr. Reyes says although she began as an associate for Dr. Walker in August, she had already begun periodically observing in the office since March. She says of course, the COVID-19 pandemic, made things a bit more difficult in her final steps to becoming licensed. That’s because tests were constantly being cancelled or rescheduled. However, in the end, she says everything finally came together.
“It kind of gets competitive but I had some great mentors. Dr. (Clark) Colville was a huge help in that. He actually wrote one of my letters of recommendation so always grateful to him for that but it just was a passion that started out when I was younger and then kind of moved on with it along with my life and I turned it into a career and then the opportunity arose and Dr. Walker was looking for an associate at the time when I got out so I decided to apply and I’m so lucky that they decided to keep me around and I was excited to come back and serve the community of Seguin and kind of give back a bit, said Dr. Reyes.
What has been most exciting for Dr. Reyes is that this personal journey has returned her home. She says it’s an honor to be serving the community of Seguin.
“Throughout dental school, I think something always drove me back to kind of where I came from and knowing my roots and I think when the opportunity arose to work here in Seguin, I think it was kind of a calling. When I found out that this opportunity was available, I wasn’t even looking here in Seguin and I really sat down and thought about it and I was like I think this was the calling to come back here and I was lucky enough that Dr. Walker was looking for someone to kind of mentor and kind of pass down his knowledge. When I started my first day here, I was driving from San Antonio to Seguin and I was like ‘man, I can’t believe that I’m actually back here’ – I saw the development of it and just kind of seeing that I can be a greater part of the community that I grew up in. It’s awesome,” said Dr. Reyes.
Dr. Reyes says she is enjoying her experience so far and is committed to serving her patients just as if they were family.
“It’s always nice when I see someone come in and I’m like I remember you or they know my family and they recognize me. It makes me feel good and I’m like I’m actually here getting to do a way bigger part than I could have ever dreamed of as a child,” said Dr. Reyes.
While in dental school, Dr. Reyes was recognized with multiple awards including the International College of Dentists Humanitarian Award and the UT Health RIDE Award for Research. During her time in the program, she also served as the Dental Student Leader at the San Antonio Refugee Health Clinic.
The office of Dr. George E. Walker, DDS & Associates is located at 1255 Ashby St. in Seguin.