The sound of a guitar drifting across the Iowa City Farmers Market is part of the weekend atmosphere. For Ingrid Streitz, it reflects a community she has helped build for more than a decade.
Now a second-year dental student at the University of Iowa College of Dentistry and Dental Clinics, Streitz continues to perform as a singer and guitarist throughout the community where she grew up, while also teaching Mental Health First Aid and QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) suicide prevention training. She sees her roles as a performer, instructor, and future dentist not as separate pursuits, but as extensions of the same foundation of connection.
"I've always been someone who has many passions," she says. "If it's something I'm passionate about, I'm going to make time for it. That fills my cup."
Much of her work has grown through long-standing relationships in Iowa City's music community, and those connections continue to bring her back to familiar stages year after year, including Science Thursdays at Carver College of Medicine and Iowa Arts Festival.
“My favorite part is seeing people enjoy themselves. At my last few gigs, there were little kids dancing to the music in front of the stage. That's when I feel like I've done my job as a performer," explains Streitz.
Streitz believes that same commitment to showing up and building relationships carries into dentistry, where care is shaped over time through trust and repeated interactions. It also extends to her mental health advocacy, which she brought to the College of Dentistry after becoming a certified instructor during her undergraduate education.
“I think it’s really important for dentists to understand mental health,” she says, noting that dental teams are often in a good position to recognize when patients may need support beyond dental treatment.
Streitz brought two training sessions to faculty, staff, and students at the College of Dentistry in May. The sessions covered QPR, which teaches participants to recognize suicide warning signs and connect someone to help. In the fall, she will be offering the more extensive Mental Health First Aid to faculty and staff, which, like traditional first aid, prepares participants to offer initial support to someone experiencing a mental health or substance use challenge or crisis.
For Streitz, these experiences all reflect the same values: showing up consistently, building trust, and staying connected to the community around her through music, mental health advocacy, and patient care.
Listen to Streitz's music and find upcoming performances on her website.