The mission of Saturday Academy is to cultivate a more diverse and representative oral health workforce by empowering high school students through mentorship and hands-on career exploration.
Saturday Academy
Mission and Background
The mission of Saturday Academy is to cultivate a more diverse and representative oral health workforce by empowering high school students through mentorship and hands-on career exploration.
Established in 2012 by Dr. Lorel Burns and Dr. Cheryline Pezzullo — at the time, both second-year students at the College — this preparatory program meets biweekly on Saturdays, 7 sessions per Fall semester, and has introduced 457 high school students to the field of dentistry as a career option. We are happy to report that some of our early Saturday Academy alumni are now dentists.
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Learn more about the Academy
Fall semester, bi-weekly, 7 sessions
- Week 1: Introduction to Dentistry // College Search (Parent Session)
- Week 2: Oral Bacteria // Professionalism
- Week 3: Head and Neck Anatomy // Resumes
- Week 4: Principles of Wound Healing // Mentor/Mentee Relationships
- Week 5: Oral Pathology // Personal Statements
- Week 6: Translational Research // Mock Interviews
- Week 7: Graduation (Parent Session)

This tuition-free program includes
- Hands-on introduction to clinical dentistry and dental specialties
- Mentorship from NYU dental students and faculty
- Professional development and college readiness workshops
- Exposure to public health and health equity topics
- Career exploration in healthcare and STEM fields
- Academic enrichment activities and group discussions
We encourage applications from students of all backgrounds. Ideal candidates will:
- Be currently enrolled in high school. Sophomores and juniors strongly encouraged; freshmen and seniors welcome.
- Be able to commute to NYU College of Dentistry for all program sessions
- Demonstrate interest in healthcare, dentistry, or STEM
- Be committed to fully engaging in all program components
Faculty Co-Directors
- Jennifer Darkinson ‘26
- Demond Ferguson Mora ’26
- Maggie Tsang ’26
- Kayla Hoke ’27
- Amayokun Adeniyi ‘28
- Julia Ayroso ’28
- Druvilkumar Desai ‘28
Student Leaders
- Maria Cordero, DDS Class of ’26
- Roberto Guerrero, DDS Class of ’26
Student Testimonials
Interested in learning more about the NYU Dentistry Saturday Academy?
Contact Us

- All are welcome to apply, especially students historically underrepresented in dentistry