Hawaiʻi Dental Service Foundation honors Hilo resident with health care scholarship

A Hilo resident and dental hygiene student has been awarded a $3,000 scholarship from the Hawai‘i Dental Service Foundation.

Samantha Oliveira Gasmen Goodman, who is studying at the University of Hawai‘i Maui College, was one of 14 dental hygiene students statewide to receive funding this year.

“The HDS Foundation is dedicated to ensuring that communities across the state have healthy smiles,” said Dr. Diane Paloma, Hawaii Dental Service president and CEO. “Part of this commitment means funding scholarships and other programs to support our local workforce.”

The Hawaiʻi Dental Service Foundation, the state’s only philanthropic organization focused exclusively on oral health, awarded a total of $122,000 in scholarships this year to support eight dental students and 14 dental hygiene students.

“We hope that after graduation, these students will work in Hawaiʻi and serve the communities and families that continue to nurture them,” Paloma said.