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Cora Ueland was the founder and first director of the University of Southern California (USC) Dental Hygiene Program. She was the director for 28 years, from 1928-1956. Ms. Ueland received her dental hygiene certificate in 1920 from the University of Minnesota and earned her Master’s Degree from USC. In the 1950s, she created the Cora Ueland Loan Program for students to assist them in financial need. Then, in 1998, the loan program was transferred to the CDHA and became the current scholarship program.
During her tenure at USC, she served as the American Dental Hygienists’ Association (ADHA) President from 1929-30. During her Presidential Address at the 1930 ADHA Annual Meeting in Denver, Colorado, she challenged the attending educators to “produce women who can educate and think in terms of highest service, and that education is not a static thing, but is ever-changing to meet the requirements of the people.” Her address further stated, “We urge members of our profession everywhere that ours is a needed and important profession and that our responsibility is as great as any other line of human endeavor.”
To continue the goal of Cora Ueland to support and encourage dental hygiene students, the CDHA Foundation actively promotes and requests donations from anyone interested in dental hygiene students and education on our website. All donations are tax deductible.
Applications for the 2025 Cora Ueland Scholarship are due Sunday, April 13, 2025.
Four $1,500 awards are granted yearly to two (2) first-year and two (2) second-year students. The second-year scholarship award includes a complimentary CDHA New Professional Membership. Additionally, the two (2) second-year students will elect one CDHA Standing Councils and Committees to participate during the first year of CDHA New Professional Membership.
APPLICATION
Student must be an active student member of the California Dental Hygienists' Association (CDHA).
Students enrolled in an accredited dental hygiene program in California.
Students must have a dental hygiene curriculum grade point average of 3.0 or above (4.0 scale).
Recipients cannot be CDHA Foundation Directors, CDHA Officers, Trustees, employees, or relatives.
Students must be first-year or second-year students on the application deadline date. Students graduating before the application deadline are not eligible to apply.
Hannie Tran – West Coast University Jiali Lei – West Los Angeles College
2nd Year Student Winners
Alyna De La Rosa – Sacramento City College Nathaniel Amert – Sacramento City College
Nicole He – Cabrillo College Cindy Saelee – Sacramento City College
Ernest Kallal – Carrington College Sacramento Frankie Davis – Cerritos College
Maiyer Oswood – Sacramento City College Alyssa Acosta – University of the Pacific
Rachel Dagbovie-Atsu – University of the Pacific Cindy Saelee – Sacramento City College
Rebeca Gomez – South Western College Karen Sakura Sanford – Diablo Valley College (a 2-time recipient)
Jasmine B. Whaley – West Los Angeles College Bridgid E. Gee – South Western College
Marie Guilia Grob – Diablo Valley College (1st place) Christine Marie de Banate – Cerritos College (2nd place)
Elizabeth Grace Marie McCarty – University of the Pacific (1st place) Kimberlee Sokcheta Kiep – University of the Pacific (2nd place)
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