Synergy Student Spotlight: Zahara Almaliki
Meet Zahara Almaliki, SUNY ESF Class of 2024 and Biotechnology Major. For her Synergy internship, Zahara was placed at Aspen Dental where she served as a Dental Assistant for 10 weeks over the summer. Zahara was able to observe dental operations up close and gain real, hands-on experience.
“Instead of just watching from a corner, I can do hands-on activities such as suctioning, sterilizing instruments and rooms, restocking, and checking patients in. I scan patients' teeth using Itero and Trius and take panoramic, bitewing, and PA X-rays. I am also able to do ‘soft realign’ for patients with dentures and assist the doctor with suctioning blood during more invasive procedures such as extractions, bone (Tori) removal, and wisdom teeth.”
As you can see, Zahara was able to learn and retain a tremendous amount of information in the field of dentistry. She even said, “I've learned ten times more at this dental practice than I did throughout my 200 hours of office shadowing! That in itself speaks a lot.”
Zahara expressed her gratitude for Synergy opening doors for her and recommends it to all students considering the program. “Go for it with everything you’ve got! The more you put into it, the more you will get out of it. Go in with a positive mentality and believe that you can achieve what you want to.”
Zahara served under Dr. Jose Alvarez, General Dentist and Owner of Aspen Dental, who appreciated that she was very eager to get involved and asked lots of questions to learn and grow. He said, “This is the field she’s trying to get into so it definitely helps to gain some hands-on experience.”
Zahara aspires to be a successful dentist in the near future. She told us, “I would love to open my own clinic that I can run one day.” She now has all the building blocks to make her dream a reality—and we can’t wait to watch her soar.
About Synergy
Synergy is a 10-week leadership development and paid internship program for college students from the Syracuse area. The internship offers young scholars the development, training, and exposure they need to succeed. Students are placed in a summer experience targeted toward their field of study and receive training within the four pillars of the program:
Professional & Personal Development
Financial Management
Service Growth
Health & Wellness
The continuation of Synergy relies on sponsors to help students bolster their career paths with real-life experience. Support students like Zahara by donating to the Synergy program today.