AN UNFORGETTABLE MOMENT
Andrea Woywitka DDS ’26 has earned the top Friends of Dentistry Scholarship — an award of $50,000 that will help her realize her dreams of giving back to underserved populations.
BY JOHN HOBBS MA ’14
FOR ANDREA WOYWITKA DDS ’26, the highly anticipated news came via email.
The third-year dental student read and re-read the electronic missive, making sure she hadn’t misunderstood.
“On behalf of the Friends of Dentistry, I would like to formally applaud you for your accomplishments as a dental student,” started the letter from Friends of Dentistry Chair Brian Hong DDS ’89, PEDO ’92, MS ’96. “Thank you for providing us a glimpse of what you have and hope to accomplish. It is admirable to hear about your intentions to give back to your community by providing quality service. [We are] delighted to share with you that you have been chosen to receive this prestigious scholarship.”
With that, Woywitka, who had been one of six finalists delivering presentations to the Friends of Dentistry Scholarship selection committee, had been chosen as the top winner of the 2024 Friends of Dentistry Scholarship, earning her $50,000. Her five competitors also earned scholarships of at least $10,000 — some walked away with even more.
“It brought me to tears,” Woywitka says of the news. “I had to immediately call my family because I was so excited. It’s honestly a moment that I will never forget because it meant so much to me.”
With the award, Woywitka joins a number of other students to have earned scholarships this year, helping them pay the increasing price for a dental education.
In fact, Ostrow awarded more than $2 million in scholarship funds this past academic year as it continues its focus on increasing the amount of scholarship funding available each year.
A Special Origin Story
Woywitka’s dental journey began early. It was as a junior high school student that the Edmonton, Alberta, Canada native began to look at a career as a dentist, having watched her brother, Vincent, who lives with Down syndrome, manage his dental anxiety to receive oral healthcare treatment.
While Vincent’s early dental treatment was delivered under general anesthesia, the family eventually met a pediatric dentist willing to put in the work to help quash Vincent’s fears, calming him enough to receive routine dental care. The 21-year-old is now so comfortable in a dentist’s chair that he’s recently been fitted for orthodontic braces.
Watching firsthand a beloved sibling — “He’s honestly my best friend, and he’s brought out the best version of me,” Woywitka says — conquer their fear, thanks to a healthcare professional, made a profound impact.
“It was just so inspiring to see how she cared so much to really try to gain his confidence and ease his anxiety,” Woywitka says. “It just takes that one person to take the time to really help someone overcome these anxieties.”
Soccer Opens Doors
When it came time to apply for college, Woywitka had her eyes set on an American college experience and was able to make that dream come true, thanks to her skills on the soccer pitch.
“It was always a dream of mine from when I was young to play in America,” says Woywitka, who played in a starting position for the Cumberland University Women’s Soccer Team while pursuing a degree in biology with a minor in chemistry. “Soccer opened the door to me receiving a post-secondary education in the United States.”
Her soccer career ended abruptly for a year after she suffered a torn ACL her freshman year. Woywitka had to undergo a surgical intervention and rehabilitation before returning to the pitch.
The experience — particularly with the surgeon who repaired her ACL injury — offered yet another glimpse into the power of health care.
“I saw how transformative health care was, and I aspire to have the same lifetime impact on my patients as that surgeon had on me,” she says.
She wound up graduating magna cum laude, a testament to her ability to juggle so many challenges at once.
Fighting On for Her Patients
After college, Woywitka applied to USC to pursue her doctor of dental surgery degree. “I knew Ostrow had a very strong clinical program,” she says. “During week one, we had a handpiece in our hands, and there was a brand new simulation lab, so that was really enticing to me.”
She also says Ostrow’s community outreach programs were a major draw for her, given her passion for giving back.
During her time at Ostrow, she has volunteered with the USC Mobile Dental Clinic, the Neighborhood Mobile Dental Van Prevention Program and the Special Needs Study Club — all of which offer bountiful opportunities to make an impact in underserved communities.
The experiences have further solidified the need to advocate for underserved patients, particularly those with special needs.
“You hear stories of families who can’t find a private practice to take them,” she says. “It can be a really hard journey for these people who can’t access a lot of oral care.”
As Woywitka begins to eye the end of her dental school journey, she hopes to continue her education with a periodontic residency before settling into a career.
“For me, a successful career means creating a practice that serves patients from all walks of life, emphasizing equality and inclusivity,” she says. “It’s about using my profession not only to provide treatment but also to uplift and empower those who may be otherwise overlooked.”
The Friends of Dentistry scholarship gives Woywitka the vote of confidence she needs to accomplish just that.
“This is one of the impactful moments in my life,”she says. “This feeling I have receiving this is something I want to be fortunate enough one day to give to someone else.”
As part of her scholarship, Andrea Woywitka will deliver an address at the Friends of Dentistry Scholarship Recognition Dinner taking place March 29, 2025 at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel.