UNMC College of Dentistry holds White Coat Ceremony for new students

The University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Dentistry, located in Lincoln, held a White Coat Ceremony Aug. 24 to welcome 45 new dental and 24 new dental hygiene students into the dental profession.

The ceremony is a rite of passage, as well as a call to achieve the high standards set forth in the profession, said John Reinhardt, D.D.S., dean of the UNMC College of Dentistry. A white coat frequently shows a certain professional pride, designating men and women who have earned the right to wear it and are proud of the profession they represent.

The class make-up consists of 29 dental students from Nebraska, 16 from states representing South Dakota, Colorado, Kansas, Wyoming, North Dakota and Iowa. Of the 24 dental hygiene students, 23 are from Nebraska and one is from South Dakota.

Below is a listing of students and their hometowns.

Dental
Alliance: Benjamin Leeper
Dodge: Kaylene Harms
Elkhorn: James Koll
Glenvil: Ashley Soucie
Grand Island: Melissa Guerrero, Danielle Nott
Indianola: Kevin Reiners
Johnson Lake: Jessica Hanson
Kearney: Danielle Freburg-Hoffmeister, Jason Jones
Lincoln: Addison Killeen, Vanessa Barra, Veronica Barra, Carol Mills, Minh Nguyen, Esther Pedersen, Nathan Thomas, Scott White
McCook: Kaitlin Powell
Morrill: Travis Dickey
North Platte: Jessamy Stengle
Omaha: Michael Eickman, Peter Harbert, Jennifer Jones, Amy Ruf, Chad Snow
Ord: Noah Piskorski
Pawnee City: Billy Laun, II
Pierce: Abbey Krienke

Alcester, S.D.: Amber Sigman
Bowman, N.D.: Jennifer Sarsland
Casper, Wyo.: Aaron Larsen
Cheyenne, Wyo.: Callista Owen
Dodge City, Kan.: Ryan Lehmkuhler
Flandreau, S.D.: Kimberly Heinemann
Laramie, Wyo.: Kari Sims, Michael Sullivan
Littleton, Co.: Angela Cook
Manhattan, Kan.: KoKo Tacha
Overland Park, Kan.: Sarah Glatt
Salem, S.D.: Rebecca Aden
Sioux Falls, S.D.: Elizabeth Naber, Sunny Patel
Stafford, Kan.: Jared Fox
Spencer, Ia.: Ashley Terwee

Dental Hygiene
Alma: Nicole Lukasiewicz
• Bridgeport: Tess Draper
• Chadron: Mattie Johnson
Fremont: Carrie Anderson
Gering: Holly Ostermiller
LaVista: Stephanie Murnan
Lincoln: Vicki Desh, Breanna Faller, Cynthia Foster, Erin Haley, Nina Howe, Emily Kruger, Mary Lowell, Krystle Wavra
Mead: Katie Parsons
Mitchell: Gregory Van Pelt
Omaha: Ashley Wilkins
Papillion: Kimberlee Koehler, Tracy Menard
Pierce: Katie Volk
Plattsmouth: Nathan Krueger
• Wilsonville: Alicia Brown
Wisner: Stacy Heller

• Batesland, S.D.: Margaret Smith

• Indicates these students attend classes at the College of Dentistry’ west division campus in Gering, Neb.