Winners selected for the 2018 ADAA/DANB Scholarship

The American Dental Assistants Association (ADAA) and the Dental Assisting National Board, Inc. (DANB) have selected the winners of the 2018 ADAA/DANB Scholarship, a program intended to help dental assistants turn their professional development plans into reality.

This year, out of 33 applicants, the ADAA/DANB Scholarship Committee selected four winners:

Andrea Carlson, CDA, of Wimbledon, North Dakota, plans to apply her scholarship toward tuition at the University of Minnesota’s restorative expanded functions program.

“My longtime dream as a dental assistant is to perform as many functions as are possible and legal in my state,” Carlson says. “My dream will start coming true this spring!”

Megan Di Dio, CDA, of Holly, Michigan, plans to apply her scholarship toward tuition at Western Governors University, where she is working toward a bachelor’s degree in healthcare management. Di Dio also is a graduate of the Washtenaw Community College (WCC) dental assisting program, with plans to complete an associate degree in applied science at WCC. Di Dio aspires to become a dental assisting educator in the future.

“Some of my favorite moments of the workday are when I am communicating with patients in the clinical setting,” shares Di Dio. “I have a passion for sharing knowledge and would love to one day be able to teach.”

Betty Leh, CDA, of Plant City, Florida, plans to apply her scholarship toward DANB exams and toward earning a bachelor’s degree in technical education from the University of Central Florida. Leh has worked in the dental assisting profession since 1991, and is currently a part-time dental assisting lab instructor at Erwin Technical College in Tampa.

“As I reflect on my career as a dental assistant and now as a dental assistant instructor, I have found my career in dental assisting to be very rewarding, and I am thankful for my career choices,” Leh says.

Glenda Panzieri, CDA, of Temple, Texas, plans to apply her scholarship toward Organization for Safety, Asepsis and Prevention 2019 Boot Camp enrollment and toward earning DANB’s Certified Restorative Functions Dental Assistant and Certified Orthodontic Assistant certifications in the near future.

“As a dental assisting program instructor, I would like to pursue higher learning to be able to impart the best quality of education to my students,” says Panzieri.

The ADAA/DANB Scholarship is open to all ADAA members in good standing. It is awarded annually to dental assistants who demonstrate a strong commitment to career growth and lifelong learning in the dental assisting profession.

To learn about other scholarship opportunities for dental assistants, visit www.danb.org or www.adaausa.org.