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.


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)

Graduation Day

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?