Introducing Elissa Guerra : A 2021 DTA Foundation/PDT, Inc. Scholarship Recipient

University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston School of Dentistry’s Elissa Guerra was awarded a 2021 scholarship of $5,000 as last year’s DTA Foundation/PDT, Inc. Scholarship Recipients.

In 2021, the DTA Foundation awarded 10 more $5,000 Scholarships to scholarship applicants. Elissa Guerra, a dental student at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston School of Dentistry, was the very deserving recipient of one of those scholarships. Continue reading below for her plans to continue impacting her community and on the scholarship.

I believe that one of the main barriers to seeking dental treatment is unawareness of the necessity of dentistry; people may not seek treatment because dentistry is not seen as essential, but this is false (as you may know). As a community service volunteer and future practitioner, my goal is to educate my patients about the connections between oral and overall health and urge them to seek treatment before feeling pain.

Pain should not be the only reason someone seeks help, and through community service and education, I can teach others about preventative treatment to avoid higher costs.

I am sincerely honored to have been selected as one of the DTA Foundation’s scholarship recipients. Your sponsorship not only brings me closer to acquiring my D.D.S. but also allows me to continue working with the San Jose Clinic. My ultimate goal is to establish a community outreach program that creates access and emphasizes the importance of oral health, and your funding has gotten me one step closer to achieving this. What made this scholarship more special was receiving the fantastic news from my donor, Linda Miller, CEO of PDT, Inc. This is an incredible opportunity. Thank you.