Dr. Kerisa Harriott (left) and Dr. Elaine Grant-Bryan, Honorary Consul for Jamaica in Atlanta, Georgia. She can be Ambassador for the Sandy Springs Perimeter Chamber of Commerce in Georgia.
Picture by Danielle Pinnock
Jamaica-born, US-based Dr. Kerisa Harriott, affectionately referred to as the “Dancehall Dentist,” is a acknowledged chief within the US dental discipline.
After a short interval in training common dentist, Dr. Harriott instructed Caribbean Life on Monday that she pursued her dream in turning into an orthodontist, finishing her residency at Stony Brook College in Suffolk County, Lengthy Island.
Dr. Harriott mentioned she made historical past by turning into the primary African American to matriculate and graduate from this system.
In recognition of her tutorial excellence and management, Dr. Harriott mentioned she was honored with the celebrated Turner Fellowship Award.
“My journey into dentistry started as a young person in Kingston, Jamaica, after I wore braces for 4 years,” she mentioned. “I used to be handled by Dr. Jeffrey Meeks of Island Smiles.
“That private expertise gave me a firsthand understanding of how a smile can remodel not only a particular person’s look, however their confidence,” Dr. Harriott added. “That sparked a lifelong ardour to assist others expertise that very same transformation by orthodontics.”
Past the clinic, Dr. Harriott mentioned she is “deeply dedicated to service” – a ardour she mentioned that was nurtured throughout her reign as Miss Jamaica-US.
Dr. Harriott shared that, greater than a decade in the past, she made headlines when she provided free dental providers to web dancehall sensation Gully Bop, hoping it might remodel his smile.
It was throughout that point that Dr. Harriott mentioned she earned the nickname “Dancehall Dentist.”
“I am the place I am at present as a result of others gave to me—by scholarships, mentorship and alternatives,” she mentioned. “Service is how I honor that legacy.
“Whether or not by neighborhood occasions, mentorship or mission journeys, I consider we rise by lifting others,” Dr. Harriott added. “It’s additionally how we create a ripple impact and may construct stronger communities.”
Dr. Harriott mentioned she actively participates in outreach initiatives – each domestically and internationally – which incorporates dental mission journeys, scholarship fundraisers, well being festivals and charity style exhibits.
“Serving on dental missions in Jamaica has been extremely significant,” she mentioned. “Returning residence to offer care to underserved communities jogged my memory why I selected this path.”
Dr. Harriott mentioned she has labored with non-profits, such Group for Worldwide Dentistry (OID) and Cheerful Coronary heart, in delivering free dental care in areas the place entry is restricted.
“These experiences not solely deepen my dedication to service but in addition maintain me linked to my roots,” she mentioned.
Now based mostly in Georgia, Dr. Harriott lives together with her husband, Dr. Ebunoluwa Onafalujo, and their two kids, Isaiah and Zuri.
“Balancing profession and motherhood is not any small feat, however it brings me function,” she mentioned. “I would like my kids to develop up seeing what love, perseverance and repair seem like in motion.
“And I carry the legacy of my mother and father and grandparents with me at all times,” she added.
Waiting for profession development as an completed orthodontist, Dr. Harriott mentioned: “Ten years from now, I see my firm, RenewAll Orthodontics, thriving – not simply as a observe, however as a pillar in the neighborhood.
“I hope to have expanded our attain, mentored different aspiring dentists, and created scholarship alternatives for college students domestically and overseas, with large goals,” she mentioned.
On the identical time, Dr. Harriott mentioned she is “deeply linked” to her roots, and embraces Jamaican music and tradition.
“I take pleasure in artists like Chronixx and Burna Boy for his or her soulful rhythms and deep cultural roots,” she mentioned. “And, sure, I nonetheless love me some Vybz Kartel. In spite of everything, I used to be as soon as dubbed the ‘Dancehall Dentist’ (nonetheless dubbed)”.
Dr. Harriott disclosed that her favourite Kartel monitor is “Fever” – a dancehall anthem that reminds her of a core reminiscence: assembly her husband at a New York social gathering when the tune was launched.
“The place mash up!” she laughed. “It was the proper second to indicate my Nigerian boyfriend how Jamaicans get down when a giant tune drops.”
Via her work, phrases and wins, Dr. Harriott mentioned she is redefining what it means to guide with coronary heart, function and tradition – one smile at a time.
