By Kacie Murray, Staff Writer

The American Dental Association Foundation, also known as ADAF and ADA, has selected West Liberty’s very own Jenna St. Clair as the recipient of a 1,000 dollar scholarship. St. Clair is a dental hygiene student from New Concord, Ohio and is on the Dean’s list this year.

St. Clair beat out thousands of students from across the country for this very selective scholarship. The ADA gives out approximately 15 awards yearly for dental hygiene students. Each school with a dental hygiene program selects one student that is in the program to receive the scholarship. One of the important requirements to be eligible for this award is to have a 3.5 grade point average or higher.

“We nominated Jenna based on her work and grade point average. Jenna is also active in our Student American Dental Hygienists’ Association (SADHA),” said Margie Six, program director.

An active member of the SADHA, St. Clair participates in various community outreach activities. The club also makes floats to ride local parades and gets involved in health fairs. They provide toothbrushes, toothpaste and dental information to members of the community.

“I’m grateful for this award,” St. Clair said. “I love the field of dental hygiene and enjoy studying and working in the new dental hygiene clinic at Campbell Hall. I feel that the WLU program is doing a great job preparing me for my career.”

ADAF Allied Dental Scholarships are offered to help dental hygiene students settle a bit of their university tuition expenses and to admire those students that work very hard, therefore encouraging the improvement of global dental health.

The ADA Foundation provides charitable assistance for the dental community, and works to improve oral health by supporting access to care, research, and education programs. The ADA Foundation provides assistance related to education through scholarships for predoctoral dental students.

“I have a great support system,” said St. Clair. “My family and friends have supported me throughout the entire program.”

St. Clair graduated from John Glenn High School in 2011. St. Clair chose West Liberty University for the small campus atmosphere, but truly found her place within the Sarah Whitaker Glass School of Dental Hygiene. St. Clair is a senior this year at WLU and looks forward to her future in dentistry.