Glover receives President's Student Leadership and Service Award

Andrew Glover, DDS

Andrew Glover, DDS, Class of 2021, is one of 92 students within the University of Minnesota to receive the 2021 President’s Student Leadership and Service Award.

As of the spring semester, the University of Minnesota proudly educates 60,553 individuals across its statewide campuses and programs coming from all over the world. At the end of every school year, a small number of students from each college are nominated for the President’s Student Leadership and Service Award, recognizing individuals who have gone above and beyond with their accomplishments and contributions as leaders within the university, as well as in their communities.

Andrew Glover is a 2021 graduate with a Doctorate in Dental Surgery. He was president of his class throughout his four years of dental school, where he played a part in several committees, interacted with school leadership, and organized class events.

“Everything my team and I did was to help our fellow students be successful,” Glover said.

“Sometimes that meant rearranging exam schedules and sometimes it was helping to resolve a conflict between students. These conversations were sometimes uncomfortable, but it was always worth it to see our class feel they had someone in their corner.”

With such rigorous coursework and long days in the clinic, Glover did not go through this experience by himself. When asked to describe the feeling of receiving this award, he expressed his gratitude for all the support throughout his journey to earning his DDS.

“I want to acknowledge that I did not win this award alone. I was blessed to have amazing people around me. I want to mention that there are many other students in my class who also took up leadership roles throughout our time at dental school and positively impacted our class, school, and community. Thank you all for what you did – it did not go unnoticed.”

Of course, with a major role in such a large community, there are learning moments. When asked about obstacles, he explained, “One of the challenges I faced as a student leader was learning to pick my battles and approaching situations properly. I had to learn what things were worth addressing and which were not.”

Glover said, “The most important thing I realized is that it is so easy to get into an ‘us-vs-them’ mentality in school. So if I see something that frustrates me at school, I first need to learn from faculty and staff about why something is the way it is before I ask to change it. So, I’d encourage students to first try and understand something with humility before asking for change.”

As for his post-grad plans, Glover will remain a Gopher in the Graduate Periodontics Residency Program here at the University of Minnesota School of Dentistry, where he will learn to treat periodontal disease, perform surgical procedures, and manage complicated periodontal cases. All the best luck to Glover and the rest of the 2021 graduates as they put their degrees to work.

Learn about the President’s Service and Leadership Award here.