When Carson Cochran was 8 years old, his art teacher asked the class to set a long-term goal and paint one eye of a Daruma doll—a traditional Japanese figure symbolizing perseverance. The other eye is painted once the goal is achieved.
That day, Cochran decided his goal was to become a dentist.
“I wrote my goal on a small slip of paper, stuffed it inside my papier-mâché Daruma doll, and painted one eye,” he said.
This May, Cochran will paint the second eye when he graduates from the Doctor of Dental Surgery program at the West Virginia University School of Dentistry.
A native of Ansted, West Virginia, Cochran said he always knew he wanted to be a Mountaineer. During his four years in the program, he built close relationships with classmates, professors and staff that helped him grow both personally and professionally.
“I have found friendship among not only classmates, but among professors and staff,” Cochran said. “I have formed memories and life experiences that have helped me grow into not only a more suitable professional for the field of dentistry, but to also be a better person.”
Cochran was highly involved during dental school, including serving as a student ambassador for the School of Dentistry’s admissions office.
“Through this role, I was able to give back to the school and support future dental students,” he said. “I sat in Q&A sessions, gave tours and helped introduce applicants to the school from the perspective of a current student.”
Cochran encourages incoming students to focus not only on academics, but also on forming relationships.
“Enjoy the people the school surrounds you with,” he said. “When you do, you’ll find all the studying and hard work become just another fun memory shared with people who impact your life in ways you’d never expect.”
His scholarship, character and professional promise have been recognized with induction into the WVU chapter of the Omicron Kappa Upsilon Dental Honor Society, and he received the William S. Kramer Award of Excellence from the society.
He also earned several scholarships, including the West Virginia Dental Tuition Waiver, Dr. and Mrs. James Caveney and Family Dental Table Clinic Award, Dr. Carl Lemley and Mary Eugenia Kennedy Family Scholarship, Panagakos Family Dentistry Scholarship and support from the Beckley Area Foundation.
After graduation, Cochran hopes to return to his hometown to work as a dentist in his community.
“Graduating from the WVU School of Dentistry is going to be the most bittersweet occasion of my life,” he said. “The classmates I’ve come to call friends, the faculty and staff who have become mentors and role models, and the lifestyle I’ve led in Morgantown will be so hard to leave.”
