FNU Student follows Family Inspiration to Pursue Career

Meet Efren Martinez Triana…

Efren Martinez Triana has been living the US only three years; however, he is determined to study, learn, practice his skills to become an excellent professional Dental Technician. He originally studied dental technology in his native country, Cuba. Upon arriving to the USA, his new home, he wanted to continue his dental technology path, and update his skills to new and more advanced dental technology techniques.

Efren had previously worked as Dental Tech in his homeland. Shortly after arriving, he was able to find a job as a Dental Tech in Miami, where he worked for two and a half years. With a strong desire to continue to grow professionally, and increase his dental technology knowledge and enhance his skills with the latest technology, he enrolled at Florida National University (FNU) in the Crown and Bridge & Porcelain program.

FNU Professor Mauricio Restrepo told him about an opportunity of a dentist who was starting a new Dental Laboratory. Efren wrote his resume, applied, and received a call for an interview. He went and answered all of the questions during the interview, and they gave him a skills test. They were very pleased with his professionalism, and liked his work. Efren was delighted to be the one selected for the position, out of a number of other potential job applicants. He accepted their job offer, and he is currently a proud member of Next Dental Lab, an interdisciplinary group of professionals who provide excellent services to the patients.

Efren smiles as he reminisces and shares how he was motivated and inspired by his maternal grandfather, Jose Luis Triana, who was a Dental Technologist in Havana, Cuba. When Efren was just ten years old, his mother passed away, and with his father’s blessings, his maternal grandparents raised him and his brother.

Ever since a very young age, Efren wanted to follow his grandfather’s footsteps. It was by watching his late grandfather’s passion and love for the Dental Tech profession, that Efren too gained interest, passion, and love for the Dental profession. Efrain shares that his late grandfather, Jose Luis, was his role model, inspiration, and the reason he chose the profession of Dental Technology. Efren is a hardworking man with a bright future!

-Silvia “Bibi” Borges