Fall 2026 Winner of the Saving Smiles Scholarship

Jumana Meri

Jumana will be starting her dentistry schooling at VCUs School of Dentistry this upcoming fall semester. Not only does Jumana have an immense passion for public health, advocacy, and dentistry in general, but she also has impressive leadership experience, having served as a club president and founded the Toothbrush Project. We are thrilled to support such a devoted student with this $1,000 scholarship award.

Read Their Essay Here:

After graduating from dental school, I plan to dedicate my career to serving underserved communities through community-based clinics that provide care to Medicaid, low-income, immigrant, and uninsured patients. My goal is to become a compassionate dentist who not only treats oral disease, but also helps reduce the healthcare disparities that prevent many individuals and families from receiving quality dental care. I hope to combine clinical excellence with patient education and outreach to improve long-term oral health outcomes in communities that are often overlooked.

My passion for dentistry comes from both personal experience and years of clinical exposure. Growing up, I watched my mother suffer from chronic dental pain because she lacked access to proper dental care in her home country. Witnessing her years of discomfort showed me how deeply oral health affects a persons physical and emotional well-being. Additionally, I spent my entire life on Medicaid, which allowed me to experience healthcare disparities firsthand. I understood what it felt like to face barriers to care, long wait times, and the stigma that can surround low-income patients seeking treatment. Those experiences inspired me to pursue dentistry with the goal of serving the same communities that shaped my own life.

Throughout my undergraduate education, I worked as a dental assistant for four years while attending school full-time. This experience strengthened my communication skills, clinical knowledge, and commitment to patient-centered care while also allowing me to financially support myself through college. Because my parents do not have the financial means to contribute to my education, I have taken full responsibility for financing my academic journey independently through employment and scholarships. Balancing rigorous coursework with long hours in clinical settings taught me resilience, discipline, and perseverance.

Beyond clinical work, mentorship and service have become central to my career aspirations. At VCU, I served as President of the Dental Club and Co-President of VCU P.R.I.M.E., mentoring first-generation and minority students pursuing healthcare careers. I also founded the

Toothbrush Project, an initiative that provides free oral hygiene kits to underserved children and families throughout the community. In the future, I hope to continue mentoring pre-dental and dental students from underserved backgrounds and eventually establish a scholarship of my own to support future dental students facing financial barriers similar to mine.

The Saving Smiles Scholarship would significantly support my career aspirations by helping reduce the financial burden of dental school. As someone financing my education independently, this support would allow me to focus more fully on my clinical training, community outreach, and service opportunities instead of financial stress. Most importantly, it would help me continue pursuing a career rooted in compassion, accessibility, and service to underserved communities.