Hero Scholar: Aleah Diemand

Aleah Diemand’s volunteerism is a reclamation of a childhood marked by poverty and years of dental neglect, a history she has spent over a decade transforming into points of access for others. As Patient Lead for the inaugural Massachusetts Mission of Mercy, she managed entry-point logistics for hundreds of underserved patients at a massive free clinic, and as Legislative Chair for the Massachusetts Dental Hygienists’ Association, she drafted and helped pass five bills expanding dental workforce access and testified at the State House for cancer survivors and high-needs populations.

Her clinical excellence matches her advocacy. Aleah has spent six years as a Registered Dental Hygienist, most recently at Montague Dental Group, delivering trauma-informed, patient-centered care to high-Medicaid and rural populations, and was named the 2025 New England Hygienist of the Year and recipient of the Phillips Heart to Hands Award for her service to underserved communities. She has partnered with over 30 organizations, from Head Start to Volunteers in Medicine, and currently chairs Public Awareness for the Oral Health Awareness Project, rallying multidisciplinary teams around national education initiatives.

Now pursuing a Doctor of Dental Medicine at Roseman University’s South Jordan campus, Aleah brings a rare combination of clinical mastery, legislative impact, and personal understanding of the barriers her future patients face. The Hero Scholarship, funded by Comfort Dental, will support her mission to become a dentist who leads a practice as a community anchor, ensuring no child grows up in the same medical shadows she once did.