MDAF Dental Scholarship Program

A 2012 graduate of Logan Rogersville High School in southwest Missouri, Mitchell had not considered dentistry until five years ago when working as a dental assistant revealed a love for connecting with patients, education and dental science. A dentist invited him to volunteer at MOMOM 2015 and that set a fire for his sense of duty and commitment to local community. Additional exposure to the MDA House of Delegates, ASDA and dental school leadership roles only fueled his interest in what organized dentistry offers. With two more years of dental school ahead, this scholarship is both helpful with expenses and motivational for his future career in organized dentistry.

Julia is a 2014 graduate of Jackson Senior High in Jackson in southeast Missouri. Julia has a passion to help the underserved. Her own experience helps her relate as she was on Medicaid as a child and went several years as an adult without insurance. As an undergraduate she worked three jobs to pay tuition and utilities. Her exposure to MOMOM and Give Kids a Smile and her recent attendance at MDA Legislative Day have helped her understand the access and advocacy components to organized dentistry. After graduation Julia plans to return to southeast Missouri and help others in her community.

Hailing from the Class of 2013 at Frances Howell North High School in St. Charles, Drew serves as president for the Class of 2021. His passion is orthodontics and after graduation he hopes to enter the ortho residency at St. Louis University and then use that skill to help start an orthodontic program at the ATSU Affinia clinic to help those who are not recognized by Medicaid as eligible for services and cannot otherwise afford the comprehensive treatment they need. He is actively working on grants and donations to help fund materials to make this dream a reality.