PARIS- Any resident of Paris knows the legacy of the Richey family. Dr. Jason Richey is a family physician in Paris and sees virtually everyone in the community for their health care needs. His wife, Tracey, has long served as a member and as President of the Paris School Board. Their children, Anna, and Emily Richey Fields have followed in the family’s tradition of pursuing medicine and will become practicing physicians within the next few years. Her oldest sister, Emily, is starting her third year of medical school at the University of Arkansas School for Medical Sciences in Little Rock. Anna Richey will be a senior this year at the University of Arkansas majoring in biology / pre-med.
And Maggie, the youngest of the Richey children, has chosen a similar, yet different path than her father and sisters. In fact, Maggie is approaching her life in her own way, and she is quite comfortable in doing so.
Maggie, a member of the Paris High School graduating class of 2023, plans to pursue dental school for a career. Unlike her family predecessors, Maggie has chosen a path other than medicine, but is uniquely hers and fits her long-term ambitions for both her professional career and her family plans.
So, as part of the on-going series of human interests stories in June that have focused on Paris High School’s most recent graduates, I asked Maggie and her mom for permission to sit down with her for an interview. They graciously accepted, and last week we sat down at a local restaurant to visit and record her comments.
In full disclosure, I am an only child, so I can’t speak from experience what it is like to have brothers and / or sisters, or, to be the youngest child in a family. But in my many conversations with others over the years who have had that experience, the thing that I hear the most often is that it can be hard being the youngest child. It can also be hard being the youngest child when your older brothers and / or sisters are high achieving. There is an implied pressure to compete or to “measure up” to your older siblings’ accomplishments.
But I must share very openly with our readers that my impression of Maggie is that she is very comfortable and at peace with her place in her loving family, and in her decisions for her own future, as well. In fact, after having had the opportunity to listen to her, I came away with even more respect for her than I have always had. She is making logical and mature decisions based upon what is important to her in life, and I know she will be very successful.
So, when the interview started, I had to get the big issue out and, on the table…I asked her why she has chosen dental school and how did she arrive at this as a career goal. It is certainly one thing to choose dental school, but with potentially three generations of physicians in your family, it takes confidence to stand up and say, “I want to do something different.”
When I asked Maggie these questions, she explained, “Honestly, I am not really sure. I shadowed a dentist last summer and I really just loved it. I’ve always loved the medical field, and I thought about being a physician also. But I found that I just loved the field of dentistry more. And also, when I thought about being a dentist, I wanted to be a mom. I felt like it is less schooling, and I could work less days per week. I just thought that it would better.”
The choice Maggie is making is all about balancing her life between a career that she would love and still having the ability to have her own family and be a good parent. I applaud her for this decision. In my opinion, this is a very mature and impressive decision for someone as young as she.
Maggie’s experience of shadowing a dentist last summer made a huge impression on her. In fact, she shared with me that it was along that time when she knew she wanted to become a dentist. Starting in August, Maggie will begin the first step when she moves to Fayetteville to begin her undergraduate college education at the University of Arkansas. After she completes a four-year bachelor’s degree program in biology, she will move on to dental school for another four years. By age 26, Maggie could have her dental license and be ready to begin her practice.
As part of her balanced life, Maggie is applying to the sororities on campus and hopes to participate in sorority rush when she arrives at Arkansas. Maggie will be the second sorority sister in her family; her sister Anna is in Kappa Kappa Gamma at Arkansas.
As a new Paris High School graduate, I asked her about how she feels looking back at her experiences in Paris and how that has prepared her to move forward into her college education. Maggie shared, “I wouldn’t say that I miss it (high school) I am just definitely ready to move on. I definitely appreciate it (high school experiences and education) …I feel like there are a lot of amazing memories with the other students in my Class. We just did a lot of things together; Powder Puff Football, so many get togethers, like prom. I know it will be a little scary when I go to Fayetteville because I won’t know anyone, but being in a sorority can help with that.”
Academically, Maggie finished high school with a 4.00 grade point average and as a honor graduate. She received the Governor’s Scholarship and a collection of smaller scholarships to help fund her way to the University of Arkansas.
Like a lot of her fellow classmates in her graduating class, Maggie maintained her high-grade point average while also participating in both athletics and other extracurricular activities. She played volleyball her freshman and sophomore years and was a cheerleader for four years. All activities that require significant time commitments and demand that the student-athlete be able to work long hours after practices, games, and while traveling to maintain a high grade point. With all of her activities, Maggie managed to finish with a perfect 4.00 grade point average.
Maggie’s mom, Tracey, was a teacher in the Nettleton School District in Jonesboro from 1996-99 while her husband Jason was in residency at St. Bernard’s Hospital. In a personal point of irony, I was a superintendent in Jonesboro when the Richeys were also living and working in Jonesboro. Our paths never crossed, and we did not know each other at the time, but, once it again it shows that it is a small world after all. Tracey’s roots as a kindergarten teacher are perhaps a reason why she has dedicated her life to serving on the local board of education and looking out for the welfare of both students and teachers.
As soon as Dr. Richey completed his residency in the AHEC program in Northeast Arkansas, the family moved back home to Paris. And from that time, the couple has served the community in their own ways, and now their youngest child, Maggie, is about to start her journey. It is a little scary to her right now as it is with all of us who have moved from home to begin college. But in true Maggie fashion, she will adapt easily and will be very successful.
After four years at Arkansas to obtain a degree in biology, Maggie will move on to dental school. She shared with me that there are no dental schools located in the state of Arkansas, so she will be applying to a dental school that will be outside the state. Maggie explained, “There currently is not one (dental school) in Arkansas. But in 2024, they are building one in Little Rock, so, depending on how that goes, I will apply to that one. There are a few schools in places outside the state that give in-state tuition rates to Arkansas students. That would be Kansas City, Memphis, and I think Oklahoma City and maybe Texas.”
But Maggie’s plans don’t end here. She has thought ahead to how she would start her career as a dentist. “There are a few dental practices in the local area that help to pay off your loans from dental school. So, I could work at one of those practices after I finish school for five or so years until I payoff my loans. And then I would come back here (Paris) to practice.
So, life is a whirlwind to Maggie and her family as she relaxes for a short time this summer and looks ahead to the start of college in August. Once she moves to Fayetteville to start her pursuit of becoming a dentist, it will all move so quickly for her. “Right now it is kind of slow for me, because I’m not really doing anything, so, it hasn’t really hit me yet like it is really happening.”
Maggie has included community service in her high school experience which, in this writer’s opinion, only reinforces her desire to help others. She is a compassionate person and should make a terrific dentist!
RNN Sports would like to thank Maggie and her parents for helping to make arrangements for this interview. It was a pleasure to interview her and I came away very impressed with her. And I know the Logan County residents who read this story will be excited to learn of her desire to return to the area as a dentist, serving the residents of Paris and Logan County.
On behalf of all of us at RNN Sports, we wish Maggie the best of success in her pursuit of her dreams as a professional and in her personal life. Congratulations, and good luck this fall at the University of Arkansas!
