Lasting Impressions | Winter 2014

24 x LASTING IMPRESSIONS The future of dentistry de- pends on the education today’s dental students receive. Great Expressions Dental Centers, one of the nation’s largest, privately owned dental service organiza- tions, is investing in that future with its new $125,000 endowed scholarship to NSU’s College of Dental Medicine. “At Great Expressions Den- tal Centers, we are dedicated to helping shape the future of patient care by supporting future dentists,” said Richard Beckman, the company’s chief executive officer. Students Kevin Carbonell and Geoffrey Morris, the first two scholarship recipients, are already reaping the rewards. Each student received $2,500 for his winning application submission, which included a letter of recommenda- tion from a faculty member and an essay about how each intends to contribute to the community through dental service. KEVIN CARBONELL Carbonell, who graduated from the University of Florida with a bachelor’s degree in biol- ogy, said he was always inter- ested in science. He had planned to go into medicine. When he shadowed a dentist, he was instantly captivated by the pro- fession’s integrative aspects. As a dentist, he could be involved more fully in a patient’s care, offering a combination of medi- cal, surgical, or radiological ser- vices in one practice. He knew he wanted to attend NSU’s College of Dental Medi- cine (CDM) after he met faculty members. “At NSU, they teach about the newest techniques in dentistry and introduce you to the newest technology,” Car- bonell said. “Other schools out there are still teaching meth- ods from the 1990s. Here you get a cutting-edge education that is clinically oriented. NSU truly prepares you to be in private practice.” BY ELLEN WOLFSON VALLADARES SUPPORTING STUDENTS Great Expressions Dental Centers names first recipients of new endowed scholarship. Kevin Carbonell, left, and Geoffrey Morris confer on a patient’s X-ray.