Not-for-profit organization awards more than $100,000 in scholarships to dental, dental hygiene students in Oklahoma
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Joshua Breece (left) and Delta Dental of Oklahoma Foundation Director Terrisa Singleton (right) celebrate Joshua’s achievement at the Delta Dental scholarship luncheon. -
Sarah McPhail (left) and Delta Dental of Oklahoma Foundation Director Terrisa Singleton (right) celebrate Sarah’s achievement at the Delta Dental scholarship luncheon.
EDMOND, OKLA. (Nov. 13, 2023) – Delta Dental of Oklahoma (DDOK) and the Delta Dental of Oklahoma Foundation recently announced its scholarship fund recipients at the University of Oklahoma College of Dentistry (OUCOD). The $10,000 scholarships were awarded to OUCOD dental students for demonstrating academic excellence and a commitment to the community. Edmond residents Joshua Breece, a fourth-year dental student, and Sarah McPhail, a third-year dental student, are two of 14 OU College of Dentistry students receiving a scholarship from Delta Dental of Oklahoma for the 2023-2024 academic year.
Joshua Breece is the OUCOD STUCO Interdisciplinary Student Council Dental Representative and the District 9 American Student Dental Association Event Chair. He is active in the community, volunteering at the Crossings Extraction Clinic and the Crossings Kids Clinic. Joshua is in the Army Health Professions Scholarship Program and hopes to join to the Army’s Advanced Education in Dentistry residency program upon graduation.
Sarah McPhail currently serves as the OUCOD American Student Dental Association vice president and is an active volunteer for philanthropic dental initiatives such as the OUCOD’s Kids’ Day and Veterans Day events, as well as the Oklahoma Mission of Mercy. Sarah is considering a specialty and hopes to one day own her own dental practice.
“Providing scholarships to deserving students is one of the ways our organization helps ensure Oklahomans will have access to quality dental care in the future,” said John Gladden, chairman, president and CEO of Delta Dental of Oklahoma. “Joshua and Sarah have already demonstrated incredible dedication to their patients and community, and we look forward to seeing what else they accomplish as students and practicing dental professionals.”
Established in 2001, Delta Dental of Oklahoma’s scholarship program provides financial support to deserving OU College of Dentistry dental and dental hygiene students planning to practice within Oklahoma after graduation. With this year’s scholarships included, DDOK and its Foundation have granted more than $1.2 million in scholarships to OUCOD students over the past 21 years.
“The decades-long partnership with Delta Dental of Oklahoma, its Foundation and the OU College of Dentistry is impactful and irreplaceable,” said Paul M. Mullasseril, D.D.S., M.S., and dean of the OU College of Dentistry. “We are grateful to have a partner like Delta Dental who continuously invests in the education of future dental professionals and is truly dedicated to advancing the oral health of all Oklahomans.”
Scholarships totaling $108,000 were awarded to the following 14 students for the 2023-2024 school year:
Dental Scholarship Recipients
- Joshua Breece, DS4 (Edmond, OK)
- Peyton Earle, DS2 (Tulsa, OK)
- Trenton McAreavey, DS2 (Tonkawa, OK)
- Sarah McPhail, DS3 (Edmond, OK)
- Aivi Nguyen, DS2 (Mustang, OK)
- Tommy Nguyen, DS2 (Yukon, OK)
- Sophia Parker, DS3 (Bixby, OK)
- Abigail Spiers, DS2 (Ponca City, OK)
- Ranim Shawareb, DS4 (Tulsa, OK)
- Mallory Shoemake, DS4 (Paris, TX)
Dental Hygiene Scholarship Recipients
- Blakelyn Daniel, DH2 (Atoka, OK)
- Kaitlyn Gillispie, DH2 (Shattuck, OK)
- Rosa Hill Deere, DH2 (Tulsa, OK)
- Sarah Sullivan, DH2 (Oklahoma City)
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Delta Dental of Oklahoma
For 50 years, Delta Dental of Oklahoma, the leading provider of dental benefits in the state, has prioritized and advanced the oral health of millions of Oklahomans. Delta Dental of Oklahoma (DDOK) serves more than one million eligible members and more than 9,100 Oklahoma-headquartered companies. Delta Dental of Oklahoma offers Individual and Family benefit plans designed to meet the needs of Oklahomans outside the workplace. For more information, visit DeltaDentalOK.org/CoversMe.
Delta Dental of Oklahoma Foundation
DDOK established its Foundation in 1998 to advance the company's not-for-profit mission to improve the oral health of all Oklahomans. In addition to its free dental care resources, the charitable organization provides grants and funds to free and low-cost clinics, awards scholarships to dental students and proactively educates thousands of elementary children from across the state about proper oral hygiene and dental disease prevention. The Foundation is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. For more information, visit DDOKFoundation.org.
OU College of Dentistry
The OU College of Dentistry is home to the state’s only doctor of dental surgery program and baccalaureate degree program in dental hygiene. More than 70% of the state of Oklahoma’s dentists are graduates of the OU College of Dentistry. The college provides general dental care and specialty care to Oklahomans through student, resident and faculty practice clinics. The OU College of Dentistry has established a reputation of training its students to provide the highest quality of clinical care available. For more information about the OU College of Dentistry, visit dentistry.ouhsc.edu.