Smiles All Around

When Andrew Lee ’26 arrived at Linfield, dentistry and photography weren’t necessarily on his radar. Originally from Portland, he came to campus to swim, major in public health and figure out what a future in healthcare might look like. But over time, experiences in a dental office, behind the camera and in the pool helped reshape his future.

Focusing on dentistry

Andrew’s mom, a dental assistant for more than 30 years, had been nudging him to explore dentistry.

He had already been interested in medicine and worked in a McMinnville clinic during his first year. But things started to click when he followed his mom’s advice.

“She encouraged me to shadow a dentist, and that’s when it started to make sense as a career path,” he said.

He realized he was drawn to work that required precision, dexterity and the ability to problem-solve in real time.

“I remember seeing a patient come in with a broken front tooth and the difference before and after their appointment was astonishing,” he said. “Seeing their confidence and smile return in a single appointment made me realize that I could remain in the field of healthcare while being able to provide solutions for patients right away.”

Dentistry, he realized, offered the perfect blend of what he loved: hands-on work, problem-solving and the chance to help people immediately.

Finding His Place

Linfield entered the picture late in Andrew’s college search, but it didn’t take long for the McMinnville campus to feel like home.

“Within my first few days, I immediately felt at home,” he said. “Many of the people I met in my hall are now my very close friends.”

Swimming quickly became another source of connection and support. Andrew already knew assistant coach Alec Webster after spending four years swimming with him in high school, and that familiarity helped ease the transition into college athletics.

“Having my teammates as a support system was definitely one of the best things to have as a freshman,” he said. “I immediately became close with many of the upperclassmen and looked to them for support.”

His favorite memory came during his first season, when Linfield faced Whitworth, the conference powerhouse. The meet came down to the final relay. As a first-year student swimming on the B relay team, Andrew knew they needed a third-place finish to secure the upset.

“All I remember is touching the wall and seeing that we had pulled it off,” he said. Linfield snapped Whitworth’s 50-meet winning streak. “It was definitely a moment I won’t forget.”

Swimming taught him discipline, resilience and accountability — skills he now sees as essential for dental school.

Discovering his path 

As his confidence grew in the pool, it also grew in the classroom.

“Learning about the human body and how it functions assured me that this was the best pathway for me,” he said.

But the experience that shaped him most was working at Braces by Dr. Joe, an orthodontic practice with offices in McMinnville and Portland. He started as a sterilization technician and quickly expanded into lab work, taking 3D scans, printing models and creating retainers and aligners.

“It was perfect timing,” he said. “I could work in the McMinnville office during the school year and continue in the Portland office during the summer.”

He’s especially excited about restorative dentistry.

“There’s no single case that will be identical to another,” he said. “You’re creating something out of nothing. That’s what excites me.”

Seeing people through a different lens

Photography became another unexpected outlet during Andrew’s time at Linfield. He started taking photos for his high school yearbook but didn’t expect it to continue in college until a teammate connected him with the sports photography team on campus.

After buying a better camera, he took it to the conference swim championships and started shooting.

“I genuinely don’t think I would have gotten to know many people on this campus without taking on this role as a student photographer,” he said. “It got me out of my comfort zone, but in a good way.”

Over time, photography became more than a hobby. It gave him a way to connect with people across campus through athletics, student life and campus events.

“It’s almost therapeutic,” he said. “Going back through the photos lets me notice details I didn’t see in the moment.”

He sees a surprising connection between photography and dentistry: both require attention to detail, patience and the ability to understand the person behind the moment.

“You can’t tell what a patient is going through just by fixing their teeth,” he said. “It’s about building that long-term relationship.”

Growing into himself

Balancing a demanding major, labs, athletics, photography and an off-campus job wasn’t easy.

“There were definitely times when it all felt overwhelming,” he said.

“I think the one thing I learned throughout this process was that it’s not all about getting it right the first time, because you can’t get better without learning from the mistakes that you made in the past.”

Andrew says college also taught him independence and accountability. After years of structured routines in competitive swimming, he suddenly found himself balancing academics, athletics, work and life on his own.

“I no longer had my parents or club teammates around me to hold myself accountable, so I was on my own to keep myself in check with staying on top of things and making it to practice on time,” he said.

As he prepares for dental school, Andrew is excited to dive deeper into hands-on work and patient care. His long-term dream is to own a private practice and expand access to oral healthcare.

“I hope to ensure that everyone is able to be treated regardless of their background or socioeconomic status,” he said.

But what he’ll carry with him most from Linfield isn’t a single class or achievement — it’s the people.

“I hope to carry the many friendships along with me into the future,” he said. “While we may all be going in different pathways, I will always be grateful for the four years we spent together at Linfield.”