Scholarship Helps Student Prepare for Dental School

Originally from San Bernadino, Calif., Rosa Montoya attended Las Vegas High School and is now a junior in the biology/pre-professional program at UNLV.

Montoya has been the recipient of the Phyllis Frias Science Scholarship for three years. As the first in her family to go to college, Montoya is excited about her scholarship and her future plans to attend dental school. She has been interested in dentistry from a young age, since going to the dentist with her mother as a child.

“When the dentists were working, they would let me get closer and watch as they cleaned my mom’s teeth,” recalls Montoya. “I just became very interested in dentistry then, and have always wanted to learn more about it.”

The scholarship she received is helping her pay for college, and Montoya says she’s grateful for the opportunity. “The scholarship has helped a lot with books and tuition,” said Montoya. “It’s such an important help for me. I don’t think I could go to school full-time without it.”

The UNLV campus community is one thing Montoya really values. It is the people she interacts with at the university that confirm her passion for UNLV. “I like the unity here. Students come together a lot for different activities,” said Montoya. “It’s also a really diverse campus with people from everywhere. I’ve gotten to learn a lot from the people I meet.”

Montoya plans to graduate in 2009 and go on to dental school. She would like to open her own practice. She hopes her successes can help others. “I would like to be able to create my own scholarship someday to help future students,” said Montoya.