Page 19 - Dentistry Magazine 2022

f you care about your I“
profession, if you care about education, giving to scholarship funds is
a way of paying forward and investing in the f”uture of your profession.
Anthony DiAngelis, DMD
Giving out of gratitude
David Gesko, DDS ’86, loved the School of Dentistry and his time here. “It’s treated me very well,” recalled the senior vice president and dental direc- tor for HealthPartners.
“I love the profession I chose, and have no regrets about going into dentistry,” he said.
So now, it makes sense for him to give back. “I have had so many opportuni- ties because of my dental education,” he said. Having a son in dental school himself, Gesko knows the financial barrier excellent students face when they choose a dental school.
“The future is changing rapidly, and
I’d like to see the profession grow
with great people,” he said. “I am very aware that students have an incredible
demand on them financially, and investing in their future makes sense to me. It’s something you can do to ensure the viability of your career for generations to come.”
When it comes to giving back, Gesko encourages his fellow alumni to reflect on how the profession has treated them.
“Typically, I would get a response about how it’s been great, has provid- ed them with great wellness,” he said. “I would encourage them to reflect on that, and say that it’s appropriate, then, to give back. It helps you make sure the profession lives on for a long time.”
An unspeakable tragedy becomes hope for a new generation
When Mehrdad Hairani, DDS ’18, recalls his journey to becoming a dentist, he will always relate it to memories of his classmate and friend, Dan Allman, DDS ’18.
“I met Dan the first week of dental school,” said Hairani. “He was jovial, friendly and unassuming. He made everybody feel comfortable and quickly had a lot of friends.”
When Allman died tragically in September 2020 at the age of 29, it hit Hairani and his classmates hard.
“Even after I’d flown back to Minnesota for the funeral, I still couldn’t believe Dan had died,” he said. Hairani’s wife, Nazila, suggested they establish a scholarship as a way of remembering Allman.
With a goal of raising $50,000 for the Daniel Alexander Allman Memorial Scholarship, Hairani began spreading the word to his former classmates
and other School of Dentistry alumni and asked them to do the same. They quickly raised close to $30,000, then made their goal thanks to a 24-hour fundraising walk.
The Allman scholarship requires academically-strong students who are involved in their community. “One of the things Dan really enjoyed was volunteering at Hope Dental Clinic in St. Paul, where people in need can receive free dental care,” Hairani explained.
For Hairani and his classmates, the endowment is the perfect way to not only encourage future generations
of successful students, but to keep alive the memory of their friend. “Dan’s life had a very positive impact on everyone around him. The scholar- ship continues that impact.”
The Allman Memorial Scholarship was awarded for the first time in the 2022-2023 academic year to a fourth- year dental student.
Feature 19
Learn more and make your mark at z.umn.edu/1000-x-1000.
1000
$1000
$1 MILLION IN SUPPORT OF OUR STUDENTS
Hairani (left) at his dental school graduation