The ADA Foundation (ADAF) and Young Dental recently announced the winners of the 2014 ADA Foundation Young Dental Hygiene Scholarships.
The two recipients are:
- Jillian T. Lydon, a student attending Harcum College, Bryn Mawr, PA
- Tiffany L. Streeter, a student attending Central Carolina Community College, Stanford, N.C.
Each scholarship is valued at $2,500.
“The scholarship selection process was very difficult due to the high caliber of the many applications the ADA Foundation received for this year’s program,” said Dr. David Whiston, president of the ADA Foundation. “The goal of the ADA Foundation’s Young Dental Hygiene Scholarships is to recognize dental hygiene students’ exceptional dedication to outreach activities, leadership, and volunteerism. Ms. Lydon and Ms. Streeter are outstanding dental hygiene students in these areas, and the ADA Foundation is proud to recognize them with scholarships funded by Young Dental.”
Lydon, who was born with a congenital birth defect in her left hand, is working with a company to develop a custom-fitted nitrile disposable glove to help people like herself who work in the health-care field. She is also developing a service learning project with the Roxborough, Pa., Salvation Army to teach adults over the age of 55 the importance of oral health care, and where they can go if they cannot afford professional care.
"As a current dental hygiene student at Harcum College and as a future RDH, I am and will continue to be 100 percent committed and dedicated to my patients’ care and wellbeing,” Lydon said. “It is through the kindness and generosity of establishments such as the ADA Foundation and Young Dental that help students ease the burden of finances so that we may focus on the bigger picture: our education, our love, and our commitment to dental hygiene.”
Streeter spent 13 years as a dental assistant and is now working toward her long-term goal of becoming a dental hygienist. She’s been a volunteer in numerous states since 2003 when she started working with Give Kids a Smile in Oregon, where she was active until 2006. Earlier this year, she volunteered for county-wide programs in North Carolina through the Give Lee Kids a Smile and Give Harnett Kids a Smile. She also spent time volunteering with the Red Cross Dental Van in Washington.
“This scholarship has afforded me the opportunity to finish pursuing my dream of becoming a dental hygienist,” Streeter said. “Spending the past 13 years working as a dental assistant, I finally took the leap to furthering my education and career because I love everything about working in the dental field – the teamwork, the patients, and of course being able to educate others on oral health.”
The Young Dental Hygiene Scholarships are awarded to two outstanding applicants in conjunction with the ADAF’s Allied Dental Student Scholarship Program.
“Young Dental is honored to partner with the ADA Foundation in awarding scholarships to deserving dental hygiene students who are already making a difference in their communities,” said Megan Kelly, marketing manager for Young Dental. “Congratulations to the recipients — we wish you all the best as you continue working toward a rewarding career in dental hygiene.”
In addition to those two $2,500 scholarships, the ADA Foundation annually awards 30 other scholarships valued at $1,000 each through this program as follows:
- 15 for dental hygiene students
- 10 for dental assisting students
- Five for dental laboratory technology students.
The list of scholarship winners and their schools is available at www.adafoundation.org.
The ADAF Young Dental Hygiene Scholarship winners were selected from among the pool of dental hygiene applicants due to their exceptional outreach activities, volunteerism, and leadership qualities.
The goal of the ADA Foundation’s Allied Dental Student Scholarship Program is to facilitate the education of academically gifted allied dental students, which in turn helps to foster the public’s oral health. The scholarships help students defray a part of their professional educational expenses such as tuition, fees, books, supplies and living expenses.
The ADA Foundation will begin accepting applications for its 2015 Allied Dental Student Scholarship Program in early January. Visit www.adafoundation.org for more information on these scholarships and other programs offered by the ADA Foundation.
