"...my dental hygienist was very encouraging and advised me to not look at the past, but to think about my future beautiful smile. Hearing those words changed me internally forever.”

Kasandra Bowden is earning her master’s degree in dental hygiene with a commitment to giving back to underserved communities. Growing up in Detroit, Kasandra witnessed significant disparities in healthcare access and personally first visited a dentist when she was sixteen years old. After enduring years of dental issues, the experience was transformative for her. Kasandra reflects, “I was so embarrassed by my poor oral hygiene, but my dental hygienist was very encouraging and advised me to not look at the past, but to think about my future beautiful smile. Hearing those words changed me internally forever.” The self-confidence that Kasandra rebuilt following her treatment motivated her to make a difference in others’ lives through dentistry.

Kasandra earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Detroit Mercy Dental School, where she was awarded the Director’s Key for her outstanding leadership and compassion. Kasandra has used her dental education to make a difference in her community ever since. Shortly after graduating, Kasandra became a clinic instructor at her alma mater, giving back to students, and began volunteering her services at health fairs in Detroit. In 2015, she made the leap from private practice and accepted a position with Covenant Community House, a nonprofit health center in Detroit. There, she made a direct impact on the city’s youth by managing the organization’s mobile dental program. Today, she serves as a coordinator for Colgate Bright Smiles, Bright Futures, an oral health education program for children in underserved communities.

Through her 26-year career and raising her four children, Kasandra also held on to her dream of earning her master’s degree in dental hygiene and making an even greater impact as a mentor, educator, and public health partner. She is now doing so at the University of Michigan with characteristic persistence and commitment to service.

CEW+ applauds Kasandra’s dedication to community health and names her a Margaret Dow Towsley Scholar.