W I N T E R / S P R I N G U O F L M A G A Z I N E | 51
A C R O S S C A M P U S
Alumni Spotlight Christine Roalofs, 94DMD
Making the trek
Twice now Christine Roalofs, 94DMD, traded in her
dental instruments for a team of dogs and the Alaskan
wilderness. Roalofs is a two-time competitor in the
Iditarod, a two-week Alaskan dogsled race. But racing is
not her only passion.
Six times a year, Roalofs travels to the remote
northwest areas of Alaska to provide dental care for the
children of rural residents and natives of the Alaskan
countryside, the very places she mushes through with
her team of dogs. "It's hard work," she said. "You're using
portable gear and travel is hard because the weather can
be so unpredictable."
Why does she do it? It started in 2002 when Roalofs
was looking for a way to see more of rural Alaska outside
of her hometown of Anchorage. She now makes the treks
annually, leaving her home practice to care for children
ages f ve and under in some of the most remote areas of
the state. "It's just the reward of providing a service for
people that appreciate it…I get one shot at this and we go
and try to f x as many things as we can f x," she said. "We
keep going back because people are genuinely grateful.
They say thank you and you can tell they mean it."