Gold medal, little footsteps: Alexandra Mueller balances school/leadership/ motherhood

After Alexandra Mueller walked across the convocation stage to receive her Doctor of Dental Medicine degree, she was called up a second time to accept the College of Dentistry Gold Medal, awarded to the graduate with the highest overall academic standing.

It's an extraordinary accomplishment on its own.

But for those who know her story, the medal represents far more than academic excellence. It reflects years of determination, late nights, early mornings, countless flashcards, unwavering support from family and classmates, and the joyful chaos of raising a young daughter while pursuing a lifelong dream.

"When someone says, it must have been so stressful to do dental school and have a young child, I always think, 'How lucky am I to be in dental school? How lucky am I to have a child?'" Mueller said. "So many people wish for these things."

That perspective became her greatest strength.

A dream that never disappeared

For Mueller, dentistry wasn't a career she discovered later in life. It was the answer she'd been giving since childhood. "Becoming a dentist was always my dream," she said. The journey, however, wasn't a straight line.

As the first person in her family to attend university, she found the transition challenging and struggled through her first two years of undergraduate studies. Rather than giving up, she changed direction and enrolled in dental hygiene at Saskatchewan Polytechnic in Regina, graduating in 2016.

She spent three years working full-time as a dental hygienist. But the dream of becoming a dentist never faded.

While working part time, she completed a Bachelor of Science degree at Mount Royal University, welcomed her daughter, Ren, into the world and earned admission to the University of Saskatchewan's College of Dentistry.

Everything she had worked toward was finally within reach. 

A carefully choreographed balancing act

Dental school is demanding under the best of circumstances. Mueller's schedule left little room for anything else.

Classes, pre-clinic and clinic filled the day from 7:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Evenings were reserved for family dinner, bedtime stories with her daughter and then another trip back to pre-clinic or hours of studying until 10 p.m.

Weekends often started before sunrise. "I preferred to go to the pre-clinic around 7 a.m. so I could be home by lunch and have family time," she said. The secret wasn't extraordinary time management software or productivity hacks. "Communication, an organized calendar and a lot of caffeine," she laughed.

Her husband, Dillon, was completing his CPA designation at the same time, turning the couple into what she describes as "the ultimate team." Every week was carefully planned, with constant communication about responsibilities, deadlines and family needs.

During her daughter's naps, Mueller studied. Friends babysat so she and her husband could still attend class events. Every small window of time became an opportunity to move one step closer to graduation.

Looking back, she wouldn't change any of it. "It's crazy thinking about how busy every day has been these last four years, but I wouldn't change a thing."

Success measured beyond grades

Although graduating at the top of her class earned Mueller the College of Dentistry Gold Medal, the achievement she treasures most isn't listed on her transcript.

"I am proud of the beautiful family and life my husband and I have made," she said. She hopes her daughter grows up watching those accomplishments unfold together. "I hope she learns that anything is possible and she can accomplish whatever she sets her mind to."

That same mindset shaped her approach to academics.

Rather than comparing herself to classmates, Mueller focused on becoming the best version of herself. "I never compare myself to others. I am only ever trying to do my best."

Passion also made the work easier.

She admits studying prerequisite courses like physics and cell biology was much harder than learning dentistry, a profession she genuinely loves. Flashcards and repetition became her preferred study tools, but gratitude became her greatest motivation.

She never wanted to take the opportunity for granted.

Leading through service

As class representative, Mueller carried responsibilities that extended far beyond her own education.

She coordinated communications, listened to concerns, advocated for classmates and often became the first-person people contacted when they needed help. "It was an honour to have my class put their trust in me," she said.

The experience challenged her to grow as a leader, teaching her to make difficult decisions, accept constructive criticism and have uncomfortable conversations. "It was sometimes a heavy job to carry," she admitted, laughing that she occasionally felt like everyone's mom. "But I loved being the person everyone turned to when they needed help."

The people behind the medal

Despite her individual achievement, Mueller is quick to redirect the spotlight.

She remembers one particularly exhausting day after spending 14 hours in pre-clinic setting teeth for her first denture exercise, wondering whether she had made the right decision by returning to school.

Classmates helped her laugh through the frustration. Instructors offered guidance and encouragement. Friends and family reminded her why she started.

Most of all, she credits her husband. "He was my rock, my biggest cheerleader, the best dad to our daughter and the best partner I could ever ask for," she said. "He worked so hard and sacrificed so much so that I could live my dream. He is the real reason all of this was possible."

She also credits her family, friends, classmates, instructors, the dentists she worked with, clinic staff, the Westman family for helping with her transition to Saskatoon and her sister, Alannah, for patiently spending hours in clinic as a practice patient.

A full-circle beginning

After graduation, Mueller will return to the same dental office where she spent six years working as a hygienist. It's a homecoming made even more meaningful by employers who encouraged her to chase her dream of becoming a dentist. She is especially excited to work with children and begin private practice.

For a little girl who always insisted she would become a dentist one day, the journey has come full circle.

And for another little girl who joined her mom on stage, her mother's story may become proof that dreams are worth pursuing, no matter how long the path or how many late nights it takes to reach them.