Hero Scholar: Laura Kim

A single moment sparked Laura Kim’s calling: during a Club SCOPE visit to a Stockton elementary school, a program coordinator asked her for extra toothbrushes for students who had none at home, and her frustration at not being able to help became the driving force behind everything since. As President of both Club SCOPE and the University of the Pacific Pre-Dental Society, Laura has led trips to over 30 elementary schools, mobilizing 200+ pre-dental students to teach oral health to children across the Stockton Unified School District.

Her hands-on dental experience spans years of direct clinical exposure. Laura has spent three years interning at Fullerton Oral Surgery, assisting in surgeries and taking panoramic X-rays, and volunteers annually sterilizing equipment at San Joaquin County’s Give a Kid a Smile Day. She also coordinates dental supply drives for St. Rafael’s free emergency clinic and serves weekly meals to families experiencing homelessness at St. Mary’s Dining Hall, all while conducting spider silk research in the Vierra Lab and mentoring first-year students as a teaching assistant and Honors Program peer leader.

Now pursuing a Doctor of Dental Medicine at Roseman University’s South Jordan campus, Laura brings a rare blend of scientific curiosity, tireless community leadership, and a deeply personal commitment to expanding access to dental care. The Hero Scholarship, funded by Helix Electric, will support her mission to become a dentist who provides the direct, preventive care she once could only offer through education and volunteer work.