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Jordan Solberg '06 Dentistry Hometown: Solon, Iowa |
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Jordan Solberg is a proud Iowan -- who is especially proud to be a graduate of the UI College of Dentistry. "The Simulation Clinic allowed us to get clinical experience right away, and by the second year, we started working with actual patients," says the 2006 graduate. "We quickly learned to feel confident about what we were doing." Growing up in Solon, Jordan was always interested in medicine and knew she wanted to devote her career to some aspect of health care. Eventually she realized that pursing a career in dentistry was the right path. "I love the idea of being able to provide patient care, of building relationships and feeling like I make a difference in people's lives -- while also having the autonomy to run my own practice," she explains. Jordan was the recipient of the Richard J. Kist Student Award, which was created in 2004 in memory of Kist, a much-loved UI College of Dentistry graduate and adjunct professor in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. Each year the scholarship is awarded to a senior UI dental student who graduated from an Iowa high school and plans to remain in the state. "It's especially meaningful to receive a gift that honors another graduate who cared so much about the dentistry profession, the University, and the state of Iowa." After Jordan's fiance, also a dental student, graduates in 2007, the couple plans to move to the Ames area to start a practice. Private supporters of the college -- whether creating scholarships, supporting crucial training initiatives like the Simulation Clinic, or making annual contributions to the Dental Achievement Fund -- are helping students like Jordan receive an extraordinary dental education and helping the UI provide top-notch health care providers to the state and society. "Going to graduate school can be a huge financial burden," Jordan says. "This scholarship allowed me to stay focused on my studies. My Iowa education -- and the Kist award -- definitely have given me a great start."
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