Hughes Dental Legacy Scholarship
As a young child, Dr. Herb M. Hughes, remembers visiting his grandfather’s home/dental office and exploring the dental equipment. He was intrigued with the old fashion foot pedal drill and the barber/dental chair.
Fast forward to high school he worked at his father’s orthodontic office pouring up models, cleaning instruments and developing x-rays. It was then that he decided that he wanted to pursue a career in dentistry. They say that life is not measured by the number of breaths that we take, but by the number of moments that take our breath away. The day he received his acceptance letter from MCV/VCU school of dentistry was one of those moments. Dental school was demanding and required most of his time, but after catching the eye of a cute dental hygiene student by the name of Tammy, he quickly reprioritized his time in order to pursue his new love. One might say this is when the magic began!
Immediately after they graduated from dental and dental hygiene school the wedding bells rang and the newlywed couple headed to Boston where Dr. Hughes would attend his orthodontic residency. The day he joined his father in practice was another one of those magical moments because another dream had come true.
Several years into his practice, Dr. Hughes was inspired to acquire another unique skill: the art of magic! He became a self-taught magician and he would display his newly found talent with his patients. As his illusions got bigger and better he would showcase them at elementary schools and charitable events. When asked if he would present his orthodontic cases to his fellow colleagues, he gladly accepted knowing full well that he was going to secretly incorporate his illusions into his presentations.
Just like his father had given him the opportunity to observe him in practice, Dr. Hughes employed his son, Justin, to pour models, take x-rays and sterilize instruments. He vividly remembers driving Justin back to Wake Forest after their Christmas break in his junior year and during a casual conversation he asked Justin what he planned to do after he graduated from college and to his surprise he said, “I want to go to dental school.” Yes, that was another moment that took his breath away.
Dr. Justin attended MCV/VCU dental school and became the fourth-generation dentist in our family! After completing his orthodontic residency, he joined Hughes Orthodontics and now he has taken ownership of the business. The baton has been pasted to the next generation.
Stay tuned for the rest of the story…
Establishing a legacy scholarship fund is our way to help ensure that our profession will be led by caring individuals who are passionate about preserving our great profession.
Passing it forward so that the next generation will thrive!
Criteria
- High moral/ethical values
- Membership in organized dentistry/volunteer MOM projects
- Possesses balanced lifestyle--mind/body/spirit
- Preference to a legacy: child/grandchild of dentist, dental specialist/hygienist
- 3rd or 4th year dental student
Recipients