Family Dental Center of Greenville

My name is Dr. Hasan Alsawaf. I am 44 years old and have resided in Greenville, Rhode Island, since 1998. I work as a dentist and operate a successful dental practice out of my home on Putnam Pike. I also have a satellite office in Boston. I am married to my beautiful wife Liz. We have two children together and one step-da…ughter. In fact, I met Liz while I was studying for my master’s degree in New York. We moved together to Boston, and now we live in the amazing state of Rhode Island. She is a registered nurse but manages my dental office. Our children attend Smithfield public schools. My daughter is eleven and will be going into 7th grade at the middle school; My son is nine and going into 5th grade at William Winsor. They are both doing excellent in school and in sports. They are the product of a multicultural family with the core teachings of the American values of hard work, determination, hope, achievement,and success.

Twenty-five years ago, I was sitting in my room in Damascus, Syria, listening to my favorite singer, Michael Jackson, and dreaming about living in America and enjoying its freedom. My journey to America started in 1991. Of course, the beginning was very difficult and challenging. I had many obstacles to overcome, with language being the most troublesome. I landed in Chicago and headed to Marquette University for a short externship at the school, which was my first interaction with the American school system. I was amazed by the educational system in America. I still remember my admiration for the collections of VCR videos that were recorded at every lecture. In fact, I was a constant visitor to their library, watching those videos as much as I could, pausing every ten to fifteen seconds so that I could understand what the speaker was saying. I was astonished by the tolerant culture of the city and its diversity, where one could see people from all over the world. I was also amazed at how much the city had to offer in entertainment and nightlife. I didn’t realize the true meaning of freedom until I came to America. I had to stop exploring the city long enough to find a way to support myself. I had only two hundred dollars in my pocket, so I rented a small studio and shared it with roommates. It wasn’t easy finding my first job. I did many odd jobs with only the belief in my own dreams and this great land of opportunity keeping me going. From cleaning dishes to cooking to delivering pizza, I saved enough money to be able to study for a few months without being forced to work at the same time. Realizing I needed a more complete grasp of the language. I started memorizing the Webster Dictionary word by word. I sent my resume to many colleges, and I was accepted into a master of oral science program at the University of Buffalo in New York, which is where I met my wife. Liz was a single mom, from a hardworking family, but she was determined to make a difference, just like me. She was studying for her NCLEX exam in nursing, determined to create a better future for herself and her daughter. We started dating not long after we met and found we had a lot in common. By that time, my mentor, Dr. Maccall, said to me, “Hasan, you are too young to be stuck in academics. I know you like it, but you should practice dentistry.” Following his advice, I applied to many different dental schools using the money I had saved from working. Soon, I was accepted at Boston University.

Liz worked at night, while I attended dental school. I successfully completed my program, and within ten days of my graduation, I came in contact with Dr. Kenyon. I bought his practice along with the house, and we moved to the beautiful town of Greenville, Rhode Island. We love this town. People here have been so friendly and receptive. We have worked hard for what we have achieved, and that is basically the story of my life, which began in a third world country and culminated in the realization of my goals and dreams in America. I believe my greatest achievement is my family which represents, in its diversity, the new blended American family. I believe in the core values of hard work, goal-oriented determination, and willingness to help the weak and oppressed. In fact, when the Arab spring started in 2011, I was so excited to see ideas of freedom and democracy sweeping the countries of the Middle East. I hoped it would help its citizens better themselves and work towards sharing a peaceful environment with others. I wanted to help others enjoy the freedom that I enjoy, and I am convinced that social, religious, and political freedom is essential for any country to better itself. Unfortunately, events in the Middle East turned sour and opportunistic,and terrorists took advantage of the situation, but I believe the seeds of democracy and freedom have been planted. I want to tell my fellow Americans that with hard work and determination anything is possible. On May 8th of this year I was honored to become a citizen of this great country. The first thing I did was register to vote, and now I am seeking public office because I believe in change. Many people have told me that you can’t change things in Rhode Island– it’s been like that for years. I say ” YES”, we can change !” We cannot afford to be satisfied with the status quo. With fresh blood and fresh ideas and a willingness to change, we can make a difference. We can no longer afford to be the smallest state with the highest unemployment rate or to be ranked as the 48th least friendly business state. With a focus on improving our school system and our economy, we can make Rhode Island the jewel of New England. I’m running to represent district 22 in the State House because I want to represent my constituents to the best of my ability and work to give Rhode Island the best possible future for our children and grandchildren. God Bless America