Alumni

Amy Full, DDS ’19, grew up in a cornfield. And today, she’s practicing dentistry in those same cornfields, fulfilling her lifelong dream to practice rural dentistry. Part of what made that dream possible was scholarship funding.

A joint event between the Women’s Dental Association and School of Dentistry Alumni Relations connected alumni and soon-to-be-graduates to discuss work, life and being a woman in dentistry. On Tuesday, April 5, alumni Lisa Young, DDS ’98, and Sarah Heuer, DDS ’94, shared their career journeys and their perspectives on issues facing current graduates.

Jackie Callaway-Campbell, MDT ’21, took a big risk when she moved halfway across the country from Delaware to Minnesota to become a dental therapist. “I’m just a humble girl from the East coast, trying to make her way here in Minnesota,” she joked. “I’m surviving the winters, living for the summers, and looking for a cheese steak.” Almost a year out from graduation, Callaway-Campbell is glad she made the leap.
 

“Lesley is a dynamic, young Dental Hygienist who is passionate about providing dental care,” said Carol Dahlke, who nominated Tuomi for the award. “Shei is a perfect role model of what a distinguished dental hygiene alumna looks like.

The future of the School of Dentistry will be significantly impacted by one alumnus, one gift and 109 acres of Freeborn County farmland. That alumnus is A. David Flor. 

Tara Peterson, DDS ’18, does not like to be bored. The School of Dentistry alumna thrives on hard work and dedication. “I love being busy,” she explained. “The more I have going on, the more I get done. I’m always working on something.” That drive propelled her to pursue dental school while also competing professionally in curling—and it’s brought her to today, where she’s headed for the Winter Olympics while maintaining a dentistry career. 

Sakaguchi’s time at the School of Dentistry prepared him well for his future. In fact, he is one of three prosthodontics graduates who graduated in consecutive years and went on to become deans: Gary Anderson, DDS, MS, completed training a year before him, and a year after Sakaguchi completed his studies, Ihab Hammad, BDS, MS, PhD, completed his and became dean of the Faculty of Dentistry at Alexandria University.