HDS Foundation awards community scholarships totaling $35,000 to support dental and dental hygiene students

HDS Foundation awarded three dental students and one dental hygiene student with the first Hawaii Dental Service Community Scholarships totaling $35,000.

“Access to quality oral health care for Hawaii’s families is a priority for the HDS Foundation and our state,” said Mark Yamakawa, HDS president and CEO. “We are pleased to provide these scholarships to support the education of the next generation of Hawaii’s dental providers.”

Kiana Marie Soliven, a Waimea High School graduate and first-year dental hygiene student at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. She received a $5,000 scholarship. Her parents are Marissa Molina and Randy Soliven of Kauai.

Dental recipients are:

• Elsa Lin, a Kalani High School graduate who is in her first year at the University of Washington School of Dentistry in Seattle. She received a $10,000 scholarship. She is the daughter of Choi Kuan Lin of Kapahulu.
• Mika Matsumoto, an Iolani School graduate who is a third-year student at the University of Washington School of Dentistry. She received a $10,000 scholarship. Her parents are Muneki and Iris Matsumoto of Moiliili.
• Kaitlyn Tom, an Iolani School graduate, now in her fourth year at the University of Missouri – Kansas City, School of Dentistry. She received a $10,000 scholarship. Her parents are Russell and Elizabeth Tom of East Honolulu.

Established in 2018 with a $1 million endowment from the HDS Foundation, the Hawaii Dental Service Community Scholarship Fund is administered by Hawaii Community Foundation and supports Hawaii residents pursuing a degree in dental hygiene and dentistry.

Kiana Soliven, a first-year UH Manoa Dental Hygiene student, was featured on HiNow.

HDS Foundation establishes scholarship program for local dentistry students

The HDS Foundation was established in 1986 by Hawaii Dental Service to improve the oral health of Hawaii’s communities. Grants are distributed twice a year to local nonprofit organizations for programs and projects that provide oral health education, prevent oral disease, and increase access to dental care for underserved populations. In 2018, more than $1.4 million in grants was distributed to 11 local nonprofit organizations statewide for programs that improve oral health. For more information, visit www.HDSFoundation.gives.