(EL PASO INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT – Oct. 28, 2026) — Graduation is still months away, but Andress High School senior Giuliana Williams already has a clear vision for her future: becoming a dentist and helping people find confidence in their smiles.

“I love biology! I love everything about teeth and what affects them, but what I really love the most about being a dentist is making a difference in someone’s life,” Williams said. “A nice smile can make a person feel confident and I just love helping people feel more confident about themselves.”

For Williams, the path to dentistry has grown alongside her academic journey at El Paso ISD. A top 5% student at Andress, she has challenged herself in the classroom, explored extracurricular activities and worked toward earning her associate degree through El Paso Community College, which she expects to receive in December.

After graduating from Andress, Williams hopes to study pre-dentistry at Rice University in Houston before pursuing dental school at Texas Tech University in El Paso.

Her interest in dentistry began at a young age.

“I always loved going to the dentist when I was a kid,” Williams said. “I once saw a video of a tooth extraction and I just loved the idea that the dentist knew how to do that.”

As she grew older, Williams continued exploring her interests while remaining focused on her academic goals. Although she was not heavily involved in extracurricular activities during elementary and middle school, she made a point of stepping outside her comfort zone when she arrived at Andress.

One opportunity that quickly became a lasting part of her high school experience was athletic training. Inspired by a relative who served as an athletic trainer, Williams decided to give it a try as a freshman. She has remained involved in the program throughout all four years of high school.

“I stayed with athletic training all my four years of high school because I like being a part of a team and I made strong connections with everyone, so I decided to stay an athletic trainer all through high school,” she said.

Although she enjoyed the teamwork and relationships that came with athletic training, Williams knew she had another passion she wanted to pursue. By her junior year, she began weighing her current interest in athletic training against her longstanding goal of becoming a dentist.

Eventually, she decided to focus on the next chapter of her life while keeping the lessons and experiences she gained through athletic training.

Williams' willingness to explore new opportunities also led her to become involved in Student Council, Future Business Leaders of America, University Interscholastic League competitions, academic decathlon and National History Day.

She credits the opportunities available through El Paso ISD with helping her discover her strengths and interests before graduation.

“I think El Paso ISD gives students a chance to try a little bit of everything,” Williams said. “The school district gives students a lot of opportunities to see what they want to do in life before they graduate and I think that’s great because a lot of people don’t know what they like and programs like the ones I took part in, help us to try a little bit of everything to see what we like.”

Along the way, Williams has found mentors who have encouraged her and helped her navigate the challenges of advanced coursework.

She credits Rebekah De Jesus as an important influence in her life and someone she looks up to. She also points to freshman biology teacher Mr. Esparza as a source of guidance, particularly when she encountered difficult biology courses at EPCC.

Having a teacher she could turn to for help understanding challenging material made a difference as she continued pushing herself academically.

As she prepares for graduation and the next stage of her education, Williams hopes other students will take advantage of the opportunities available to them, even if they are unsure where those experiences might lead.

“My advice for students coming into high school next year, is to try something out of your comfort zone,” Williams said. “I think testing from things to Fine Arts, to Academics, to Sports, it really opens your eyes to what you’re good at and what you really like.”

For Williams, exploring her interests has helped her identify the future she wants to build. Whether she is studying biology, working toward her associate degree or preparing for a career in dentistry, she remains focused on using what she learns to make a difference in the lives of others, one smile at a time.

To learn more about Andress High School, click here.