Parris Wilkins Scholarship
On Jan. 23, 2012, Dr. Tonya Parris-Wilkins (D.D.S. ’03) realized her dream of opening her own dental practice in Colonial Heights, Va. She had been raised with the notion that “To whom much is given, much is required.” So that same week in January, she and her family made a major commitment to the VCU School of Dentistry by establishing the Parris Wilkins Scholarship.
Creating the scholarship wasn’t an easy decision, as she was financing her new practice. She discussed her ideas in depth with her husband, Dr. Joseph D. Wilkins (M.S.P.T. ’01, D.P.T. ’06, M.S.H.A. ’11), a VCU alumnus three times over. “Neither of our parents graduated from four-year colleges, so we were starting from scratch when we pursued advanced degrees,” said Parris-Wilkins. “We want to help forge a path for others, we want to set an example for our children. We have no regrets.”
Parris-Wilkins and her husband established the scholarship, which gives preference to African-American, third-year and fourth-year dental students who apply.
“Establishing the Parris Wilkins Scholarship and meeting the first recipient has been very rewarding,” shared Parris-Wilkins, who celebrated her 10th anniversary of practicing dentistry in 2013.
Criteria
- Given to a rising D3 or D4
- Preference will be given to those students who have worked in the African American community or have an interest in African American issues. The scholarship will be awarded according to university policy.
Get to know our scholarship recipients
Click each name to find out what excites our students about becoming dental professionals.
