President Bush honors dental student

Kansas City, Mo.鈥擮n a late-spring visit to the metro area, the president of the United States descended the stairs of Air Force One to present a President’s Volunteer Service Award to UMKC dental student Ashley Knight. “To thank them for making a difference in the lives of others, President Bush honors a local volunteer when he travels throughout the United States,” said the White House press release.

“She’s the ‘real deal’,” her faculty advisers said in their nominating letter to the White House. “Ashley has been extremely active in the Kansas City community and her leadership combined with her volunteerism has been outstanding for such a young person. We hope you feel she is deserving of your prestigious award.”

Dr. Becky Smith and Dr. Michael McCunniff signed the May 20 letter and President Bush presented the award May 29.

“The days leading up to and following the ceremony have been a whirlwind for Knight,” the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Dentistry reported at the school’s Web site, which also has a role in the story.

A representative of USA Freedom Corps, an office of the White House, discovered the Students Take Action page “and wanted to know more about its activities.”

Ashley Knight, who is starting her senior year, served as STA’s 2007-2008 president among many volunteer activities cited by her faculty advisers and the White House.

“The ADA News publishes great stories about the dental profession giving back to communities, and I think this would highlight how it begins even before they graduate from dental school,” said Dr. McCunniff, associate professor for dental public health.