This feature in Impact is focused on highlighting the "hidden talents" among UTMB's employees. If you have a hidden talent—or know someone who does—please tell us at impact.newsletter@utmb.edu. Thanks!
Name: Dr. Ford Ben-Okoli
UTMB Talent: Second-year family medicine resident
Hidden Talent: Sharing a love of dance and inspiring others
Just a few weeks after starting his undergraduate career with Baylor University, Dr. Ford Ben-Okoli decided to try his hand at a new hobby—Latin dance.
Inspired by a special he saw on PBS, Ben-Okoli, now a second-year UTMB family medicine resident, joined his alma mater’s Latin dance club, where he quickly fell in love with the pastime.
More than a decade later, Ben-Okoli is still dancing, only now he’s sharing his passion with other members of the UTMB community as one of three instructors of the social dance class offered weekly at the UTMB Alumni Field House. Angela Fu, a second-year medical student, and Tais Saito, assistant professor with Pathology, lead the class with Ben-Okoli. The trio focuses on basic mechanics and fundamental moves for traditional Latin dance styles such as bachata, tango, merengue and more.
Specific attendance varies each week, but the class averages anywhere from 15 to 20 attendees.
In addition to the dance class on campus, the group sometimes coordinates social outings at venues in Galveston and Houston, where everyone has a chance to put their skills to use on the dance floor. To see the dance class schedule at the Field House visit, https://www.utmb.edu/auxiliaryenterprises/alumi-field-house/overview.