“People are influenced by who they are around,” says Dr. Walberto Cantu. “Tell me who your friends are and that’s who you will be.”
“Every day I pray to God and ask him to bless my hands and to help me be the best leader that I can be.” Because leadership, as far as Wally is concerned, is about more than just the DDS in front of his name. “Whatever line of work you’re in, it’s about not being afraid or not shying away from your beliefs. It’s about doing it with love and giving it your all, no matter where you are in life.”
But he’ll be the first to tell you, he didn’t get to where he is today on his own.
“My father instilled the importance of education in all of us and the influence it had on him. He was a doctor back in Mexico but wasn’t able to practice here in the US,” he explains. “I’d watch my parents working, harvesting asparagus and it was eye-opening, just how hard they were working. It made me want to get an education.”
After a high-school career day spawned his interest in dentistry, Wally went on to receive his undergraduate education at the University of Washington and before receiving his diploma, he was married with a baby on the way.
“It was definitely a culture shock, coming from a school of 100 kids to this massive university. But it was a great learning opportunity – I only knew one other person at UW.”
From there, Wally received his dental education at Marquette, a transition that saw him living 2,000 miles from home with a brand-new wife and two young children.
“A growing experience” he calls it, “both in my personal life and who I was professionally.”
And who he is professionally is intrinsically tied to his roots.
“Before I went off to college, when I realized I wanted to be a dentist, I saw a need for a Hispanic dentist in my own community. I’m from a small town, maybe 10,000 people, and there was always this communication barrier between the dentist and his patients. The assistant would always have to translate. And I wanted to bridge that gap.”
Now, 15 years later and with his own practice, he’s doing just that.
“The majority of my patients are Hispanic so I’m definitely there in my community, bridging that gap. And it feels good to know that you can communicate with your patients in a manner that makes them feel comfortable, especially with something so personal as their mouth.”
And in bridging that gap, he hopes to influence others in his community, especially young Hispanic students. “There really isn’t a lot of opportunity for Hispanics to go to college. What we need is more opportunity to educate youths and more professionals in the education system sharing their story and more young, Hispanic leaders helping to motivate the future generations.”
That desire for a better future for his community, he explains, is a subject that hits very close to home.
“My family, everything I do is for them, so that they can have a better opportunity. And through my work, having the chance to transform someone’s life, whether they struggle with low self-esteem, substance abuse, an unsafe home life. The gift that God has given me – being able to give someone a smile and have a positive impact on their life – that’s what makes me get up every morning and do what I do.”
