my story

Future Pediatric Dentist. Author. Student Leader.

Turning compassion into purpose — one smile at a time.

Sydney Pla is a high school senior at Our Lady of Lourdes Academy in Miami, Florida, with a clear ambition to become a pediatric dentist. Through shadowing experiences, leadership opportunities, and the creation of her children’s book, she has begun exploring how empathy, education, and compassion can transform a child’s experience with healthcare.

Discover My Journey

Explore the Book

Watch the story

Discover Sunny the Seahorse Goes to the Dentist.

My Purpose

For Sydney, dentistry is about more than teeth. It’s about trust.

Sydney’s interest in pediatric dentistry grew through real experiences inside dental practices, where she saw firsthand how much a child’s emotions can shape their experience. She became especially drawn to the combination of healthcare, communication, psychology, and compassion required to make children feel comfortable and understood.

Her goal is to pursue dentistry and ultimately specialize in pediatric dentistry.

A defining experience

The moment pediatric dentistry became personal.

While shadowing at a pediatric dental practice, Sydney watched a young girl become frightened in the dental chair and begin to cry. Rather than simply observing, Sydney decided to help. She inflated a dental glove, added a sticker, and began talking with the girl about the animals she loved. She danced with her, distracted her, and helped turn an intimidating moment into something playful and familiar. The child became calm enough for the dentist to complete the tooth extraction.

“I realized that sometimes making a child feel safe can be just as important as the procedure itself.”

— Sydney’s personal reflection

my book

Sunny the Seahorse Goes to the Dentist

A gentle story about courage, comfort, and every child’s right to feel safe.

Now available on Amazon and at Books & Books in Coral Gables.

Buy on Amazon

Author Project

Sunny the Seahorse Goes to the Dentist

One experience sparked another idea. Seeing how fear can shape a child’s experience at the dentist inspired Sydney to think beyond the dental office. How could children begin overcoming that anxiety before they ever sat in the chair? That question became a creative project: Sunny the Seahorse Goes to the Dentist.

“Being brave doesn’t mean you’re not scared. It means you try anyway.”

Children’s Health · Dental Anxiety · Storytelling · Empathy

Buy on Amazon or Books and Booksr

Learning beyond the classroom.

Dental Shadowing

Sydney has spent time observing dentists and learning about the realities of patient care.

Pediatric Dentistry

Her experiences with pediatric practices, including Petit Smiles, strengthened her interest in working with children.

Patient Communication

She became particularly interested in the human side of dentistry: building trust, reducing anxiety and communicating with young patients.

Learning Through Observation

Shadowing has allowed Sydney to explore how science, clinical skill, communication and empathy come together in dentistry.

Sydney Pla

Student Leadership

Leadership beyond dentistry.

Sydney is an active member of her high school’s DECA business club. She has competed with DECA in Orlando and currently serves as Communications Director for her high school chapter.

Education and awards

Building the foundation for what’s next.

Sydney’s Path to Dentistry

Sydney sees her undergraduate education as the next step in a much longer journey toward dentistry — a chance to deepen her scientific knowledge, explore healthcare, continue serving others, and grow as a leader.

Her high school experience reflects that balance of academics, leadership, creativity, and service.

Leadership & Community

Lourdes Dancers Varsity Officer
Senior Peer Minister, helping lead retreats for students across all grade levels
DECA Communications Director
Social Media Coordinator for the Lourdes Dance Team

Dance & Achievement
Sydney is a member and inductee of the National Honor Society for Dance Arts (NHSDA), selected for her artistic merit, leadership, and academic achievement. Through dance, she has developed discipline, teamwork, creativity, and the confidence to lead by example.

Service with Purpose
With 250+ hours of community service in her hometown, Sydney has made giving back a meaningful part of her high school journey.

Together, these experiences have shaped her interest in a future in dentistry — a field where she hopes to combine science, service, communication, and compassionate care.

Sydney’s Path to Dentistry

Her high school experience reflects that balance of academics, leadership, creativity, and service.

Leadership & Community

Lourdes Dancers Varsity Officer
Senior Peer Minister, helping lead retreats for students across all grade levels
DECA Communications Director
Social Media Coordinator for the Lourdes Dance Team
250+ hours of community service in her hometown, Sydney has made giving back a meaningful part of her high school journey.

Sydney Pla

What Drives Me

"Curiosity brought me into the dental office. Empathy showed me why I wanted to stay."

Sydney’s ambition is not simply to become a dentist. She hopes to become the kind of pediatric dentist who understands that behind every patient is a child experiencing something new — sometimes with excitement, sometimes with fear. Her goal is to combine science, communication and compassion to create experiences that help children feel understood and confident.

Photo Story

A story in motion.

A future shaped by care

Learning through observation

Turning an idea into impact

Contact with Sydney

Sydney Pla

The Next Chapter

This is only the beginning.

Sydney hopes to continue learning, serving, and exploring the intersection of science, communication and compassionate care as she takes the next step toward a future in pediatric dentistry.

One day, she hopes to help children leave the dentist the same way Sunny did — smiling.

Contact with Sydney

Follow Sydney