Hey Everybody!
It’s a very exciting time at Children’s Dentistry of Charlottesville. Summer is in full swing which means that we’ve been super busy seeing kiddos while they are on their school break. The weather has been mild, making for an all-around amazing time of year here in central Virginia.
But the real reason for our excitement is that we have selected a scholarship winner for our first ever Child Empowerment Scholarship.
A Quick Recap
This is our first year offering a scholarship to students who are using their education to make the world a better place for our future generations. We couldn’t be more delighted about it!
In an earlier blog post, I highlighted the review process and how moving and inspirational it was. My philosophy in life is to never stop growing and always try to make a difference in the lives of the people that we come in contact with. Reading the essays and applications really encouraged me to realize that the younger generation is indeed concerned with the impact they have on the world they live in.
Meet Our First Winner!
It is with great pleasure and pride that I am pleased to announce that Ishara Lareef is our first scholarship winner. In her essay, she told a powerful story highlighting her interest in mission-minded healthcare. She talked about how that can have an impact on children as they grow into young adults.
Ishara Says,
The privilege of trust and its ability to be used to help has been an important part of my journey in choosing medicine. Volunteering may have given me insights into the fields of public health and disease, but it is (a patient’s) sigh of relief (or eyes) lighting up that cemented my desire to pursue a career in medicine and to work with children to help them overcome their situations and illnesses so that they can live healthier, happier lives.
With these experiences in mind, I hope to become a pediatrician who values compassion, communication, and trustworthiness, a physician who listens to her patients without judgment and earnestly works to connect and heal.
Her principles closely align with our own here at Children’s Dentistry of Charlottesville. I know that she will use her education to make her improve her community. We wish her the best of luck going forward in her education and embarking on her career.
Thank You to All of Our Applicants
To all the applicants, please know that each and every one of you was worthy in your own right. It was extremely difficult to choose just one winner, and we wish that we were in a position to choose more.
We hope you continue to pursue your dreams, wish you luck in your studies and we can’t wait to see you succeed and influence your communities for the better.
All the very best and Keep Smilin’,
John
A graduate of Loma Linda University Dental School and a resident in the Loma Linda Dental Anesthesiology Program, Dr. Will received extensive education in pharmacology, physiology, internal medicine, and general anesthesia. Dr. Will is a member of the Special Care Dentistry Association and the American Society of Dentist Anesthesiologists. He’s also a Diplomate of the American Dental Board of Anesthesiology. Dr. Will believes every patient should be treated with kindness and respect and is focused on treating the unique dental and oral health needs of all young people.