Foundation Awards Dental School Scholarships T


hank you to all who attended the 2026 Connect4Success and those


who purchased tickets to support the Connect4Cash Raffle to benefit the programs of the MDA Foundation. Save the date for C4S 2027: June 24-26 at Margaritaville Lake Resort.


VISIT MODENTAL.ORG/C4S TO:


• Find links for sponsors and exhibitors • View images from the weekend events, including MDA award winners


• See who came out the winner in the Connect4Cash Raffle


We especially thank the following sponsors and exhibitors:


PRESENTING SPONSOR: MDIS


GOLD SPONSORS: Compass Health, Molina Health Care, The Callaway Bank, UMKC Alumni Association


SILVER SPONSOR: MODPractice SPEAKER SPONSOR: Elevate Oral Care


EXHIBITORS: Andau Medical, Aurum Haus, Bio Horizons, Biotech Dental, Burkhart Dental Supply, Central Ozark Medical Center, Dental Lifeline Network, DentalWealthRx, Edmonds Dental Prosthetics, Elevate Oral Care, GC America, Heldebrandt Consulting, Henry Schein, Dental Practice Transitions, HuFriedyGroup, Joe Cangas, MD (Commercial Real Estate Agent), Kettenbach Dental, MDIS, MegaGen America, Missouri Coalition for Oral Health, MODPractice, Molina Healthcare, NobleVest Private Wealth, Patterson Dental, Smile Advantage, Sorelle di 203 Boutique, The Callaway Bank


SCAN FOR C4S PICTURES, RECAP, 2027 DATE & MORE


T


he MDA Foundation Board met in March to make selections for its 2026-2027 dental stu- dent scholarship recipients. After thorough discussion and deliberation, the Board slowly whittled down the pool of applicants to the following six winners. Each will receive $5,000


toward their tuition next school year. Since 1999 the MDA Foundation has awarded $426,000 in scholarship support to Missouri dental students. Congratulations to these future MDA members! Learn more about supporting the Foundation at modental.org/foundation.


JAIME SPEICHINGER, UMKC 2027—Jaime is from Ballwin and attended Marquette High in Chesterfield and Auburn University before starting dental school. Her exposure to organized dentistry helped her consider the broader role she could play in dentistry beyond being a compassionate dentist. Jamie is an ASDA officer. She enjoys advocacy and attended MDA’s 2026 Dental Day. And she plans to be a Medicaid provider.


ANDREW CUBA, UMKC 2028—Andrew was a year behind Jaime at Marquette High in Chesterfield but chose to be a Tiger of a different stripe and went to Mizzou. He has seen the trajectory of his day changed by another’s smile and thus is determined to help others become confident in their smiles. Andrew has a passion for educating others and is likely to pursue orthodontics.


SOPHIE HARRINGTON, KCU 2028—Sophie considers herself a full-state Missourian. She grew up in Kansas City and attended Lee’s Summit West High School. She made a stop in Springfield for undergraduate studies and then worked toward a master’s in public health at UMSL before enrolling at KCU in Joplin. These travels have exposed her to a variety of needs and resources and have inspired a desire to serve others.


LINDSEY LOSEY, UMKC 2028—Lindsey attended Kickapoo High in Spring- field and Southwest Baptist University in Bolivar. She always enjoyed having her teeth cleaned by her aunt who was a hygienist. But it was a term paper assignment in high school that opened her eyes to the disparity in care and ignited her passion for dentistry and helping others.


SAGE NEWTON, UMKC 2027—Sage attended Father Tolton High School in Columbia and stayed local to attend Mizzou. Shadowing an oral surgeon exposed her to advanced disease and cemented her desire to focus more on prevention. Sage wants to pursue periodontics. She’s president of her class and a leader in the JayDoc clinic.


JUMAN PARK, UMKC 2027—Juman moved to St. Joseph from Korea and attended St. Joseph Christian High. Professional studies led him to New York and Washington, but he adopted Missouri as his home because he felt it shaped his identity. Juman earned a doctorate in physical therapy and worked in the field for eight years. A unique patient encounter sparked a desire to treat the whole patient, so he enrolled in dental school. He views himself as a steward of his community and plans on a long career involved with the MDA.


ISSUE 2 | SUMMER 2026 | focus 25


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