Maya Grimes gave fans reasons to smile as a four-year starter and standout defender on UNC Pembroke’s women’s soccer team.

Soon, the aspiring dentist will be perfecting the smiles of her patients. The senior UNCP biology student and Chancellor’s Ambassador has been accepted to East Carolina University School of Dental Medicine.

While most children have a fear or anxiety associated with going to the dentist, Grimes couldn’t wait for her next checkup.

“I loved going to the dentist,” she said. “I thought it was the coolest thing ever.”

Grimes, who admits to pulling her younger sister’s teeth as a child, said she knew she wanted to pursue a career in dental medicine at a young age. Equally talented on the pitch, she caught the attention of head women’s soccer coach Lars Anderson as one of the top players at Glenn High School. The Kernersville native came to UNCP on an athletic scholarship while producing high academic marks in the classroom, too.

“It’s been a very long road,” she said. “I could not have done it without help from my advisor, Ms. Natalya Freeman Locklear. “She helped me immensely from the first time I stepped in her office as a freshman.

“It has been stressful at times, especially during COVID when my labs were converted online. The workload increased when everything went online.”

Through it all, Grimes kept her focus.  

“I knew I had to work hard to get this opportunity to go to dental school.”

Grimes is on target to graduate in May. She chose ECU after being accepted to dental programs at Meharry Medical College and Howard University

“My advisor played a huge role in my getting accepted into dental school, making sure I was taking all the right courses and remaining on track. The professors here are amazing. UNCP does a great job at hiring professors who are passionate about what they do. I can walk into their office during office hours and talk with them. They all have helped me be successful.”