Hero Scholar: Onika Varnado

Onika Varnado’s belief in service shows up in the small, consistent things: packing fresh produce boxes for families facing food insecurity at Three Square Food Bank, and quietly maintaining her church space each Sunday so others have a welcoming place to gather. As a single mother, she has led daily by modeling discipline and accountability for her son, a form of leadership rooted not in title but in consistency and care.

Her decade of clinical experience spans multiple dental settings. Onika served as a Dental Assistant at Nuvia Dental Implant Center, assisting in complex surgical implant procedures and managing daily clinical workflow, building on her previous role as Lead Dental Assistant and Office Manager at Aces Dental, where she supervised staff and coordinated operations across three offices. Along the way, she has advocated for better workplace structure, initiating weekly check-ins to improve communication and accountability among colleagues.

Now pursuing an Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing at Roseman University’s Henderson campus, Onika brings a decade of hands-on clinical leadership and a quiet, steady commitment to service. The Hero Scholarship, funded in memoriam of Richard Mickelson, will support her mission to become a nurse who leads by example, communicates with clarity, and puts patient-centered care above all.