Saturday Academy
Saturday Academy 2024
The 2024 application is now closed.
Mission and Background
The mission of the Saturday Academy is to increase diversity in the healthcare professions, especially dentistry, by introducing high school students from all backgrounds to the profession of dentistry, while simultaneously preparing them for the college application process.
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 286 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 dental students.
The NYU Dentistry Saturday Academy is thankful to the ADEAGies Foundation for its contribution to our programming expansion effort: Lengthening the Pipeline for Program Alumni (2020-2022).
Saturday Academy 2022
Saturday Academy 2022 marked the 10th year of programming. With over 350 alumni completing the program and moving on to great universities, dental and dental hygiene programs, we're happy that Saturday Academy's mission of mentorship has sustained and grown even better with time. We hope to continue for decades to come and continue to help diversify the dental profession. We look forward to welcoming our 2023 group in the Fall!
Learn more about the Academy
Curriculum
Fall semester, bi-weekly, 7 sessions
- Introduction to Dentistry // College Search
- Impressions // Standardized Tests
- Mouth Guards // Common Application
- Plaque // Personal Statement
- Dental Restorations // Interviews
- Wax-Ups // Financial Aid
- Graduation
Interested in learning more about the NYU Dentistry Saturday Academy?
Please complete the form below.
Faculty Co-Directors
Program Leaders 2024
- Maria Cordero, DDS Class of ‘26
- Roberto Guerrero, DDS Class of ’26
Core Volunteers
- Nicole Grinkevich, DDS Class of ’25
- Terriana Jones, DDS Class of ’25
- Daniela Pereira, DDS Class of ’25
- Demond Ferguson Mora, DDS Class of ’26
- Maggie Tsang, DDS Class of ’26
- Jennifer Darkinson, DDS Class of ‘26
- Kayla Hoke, DDS Class of ’27
Contact Us
Resources for Alumni
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