2023 Dr. Arthur A. Kezian DDS Science Scholarship

Recipient | Jesutofunmi Oluwaleke

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Dr. Arthur A. Kezian DDS, a Los Angeles Cosmetic Dentist, founded a scholarship program several years ago with the goal of supporting and inspiring students as they pursue career in the field of science. As these students strive to achieve their higher education, they face financial expenses that are difficult to handle. Dr. Kezian sought to address this issue by creating this annual scholarship program. Inspired by his own experience as a student of biochemistry at UCLA and ultimately achieving his degree in dentistry, Dr. Kezian understands the financial pressures these students are facing. He aims to support the students financially so that they focus a little less on the money and more on pursueing their dreams. This year, we are proud to announce a new scholarship recipient to award and congratulate – Jesutofunmi Oluwaleke. Jesutofunmi is an incredible, well-rounded student who has many amazing achievements in the field of science, specifically in the fields of healthcare and pharmacy. She was an excellent high school student from Richmond, Texas who graduated at the top of her class. She has been exceptionally active in leadership roles and organizations dedicated to education and science as well as community service. Her path in her career in science is to pursue her degree in nursing. Her goal is to use her degree to provide equitable and affordable healthcare to underrepresented communities with limited access. We believe she has an amazing future career ahead of her.

Jesutofunmi is a student tutor and held multiple leadership positions in various groups in her school and community. Her service and participation is so extensive that there are almost too many to name. In addition to school, Jesutofunmi is active in her community. She is a secretary and usher at her church, as well as a member of her neighborhood city council. In 2022, she was awarded the opportunity to represent the state of Texas in the national Miss Black USA Talented Teen Pageant, and she was selected as Miss Black Texas Talented Teen USA.

At her school, she was the president of the National Honor Society where she helped to organize blood drives throughout the school year and volunteer at the Houston Food Bank.  She also acted as president of the Mademoiselle Service and Social Club which focuses on service and volunteer work in under-represented communities, as well as participating in workshops focused on topics such as team building, leadership skills development, and cyber and social media safety.

She also served as the vice-president of the Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA), the Science National Honor Society (SNHS), and the National Technical Honor Society. She also held the secretary position in the Texas Association of Future Educators (TAFE), and her High Schools student council.

Jesutofunmi has participated in various groups as a tutor and mentor for her fellow students. Her work provides an opportunity for mentorship to the underclassmen and younger students so they have someone to look up to and respect. She engages in collaborative assisting work to enhance the community by checking on the well-being of the students.

These roles are reflections of her character and values which align with the values of the Dr. Arthur A. Kezian DDS Science scholarship.

Jesutofunmi’s most recently became a certified pharmacy technician and was for the past year a Walgreens Pharmacy Technician trainee. Currently she is pursuing her nursing degree at the School of Nursing at The University of Texas at Austin.

Jesutofunmi was very appreciative and honored to be the recipient of the Dr. Arthur A. Kezian DDS Science Scholarship for the 2022-2023 school years. When he was asked about her thoughts on the award and the impact it will have on her career, she replied with the following:

“Thank you all so much for this opportunity and scholarship. My family has been limited in pursuing their higher education. With this scholarship I can finally break barriers and achieve my college degree.”

To see Jesutofunmi’s video submission for his application, please click the following player:

The entire staff at Dr. Arthur A. Kezian DDS would like to congratulate Jesutofunmi Oluwaleke for all of her accomplishments. The committee strongly believes she is deserving of the award and wishes her the best of luck on her journey. We are all very proud of her triumph and hope to see her develop a successful career in health care and science.

Dr. Kezian thanks all those who applied this year to the scholarship and wishes them the best in all their studies and future goals. This year we had several hundred applicants, and each one was amazing, qualified, and had inspiring ambitions and accomplishments. He is encouraging these students to keep pursuing their dreams and working hard. He hopes that the students can apply again for the upcoming scholarship applications for a new chance at receiving $1,200 to use towards their education. Applications will again open up November 1, 2023.

The scholarship program will open again this coming year. To get further information about the applications including requirements and eligibility, make sure to check out our scholarship page on our website at https://www.drkezian.com/science-scholarship/. If you believe you are a good candidate for the scholarship, or know someone who is and can benefit from it, please apply and urge them to do as well.

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Dr. Arthur A. Kezian DDS
443 N. Larchmont Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90004
(323) 467-2777
www.drkezian.com