Newly endowed scholarship

Top Dental Students to be supported in perpetuity by new endowments

Each year, five outstanding students at MUSC’s James B. Edward College of Dental Medicine receive substantial scholarship awards, thanks to the generosity of alumni Long T. Huynh, D.M.D, ’05, and Mai X. Huynh-Le, D.M.D., ’03, ’04.

Perennial supporters for each graduating class, the alumni couple previously endowed two of their scholarships, which means the donation is invested to generate interest that goes toward scholarships each year.

Now, they have pledged to fund endowments for their remaining three scholarships – so that all five awards can continue forever.

Upcoming endowments at the College of Dental Medicine

• The top honor student scholarship will be endowed in 2024.
• The second top honor student scholarship will be endowed in 2025.
• The best student volunteer scholarship will be endowed in 2026.

“Our alma mater needs us now more than ever to remain attractive and competitive,” said Huynh-Le. “Because these awards will exist in perpetuity, deserving students will continue to benefit, which plants a seed for them in the future to establish more scholarships for the next generations.”

The scholarships already endowed by the couple award the graduating senior who excelled highest in clinical dentistry, as well as a graduating senior who demonstrates both clinical excellence and an overall spirit that brings out the best in others. The latter is the Dr. Bob Holmes Legacy Award, in memory of a beloved faculty member who served MUSC for nearly three decades and was Huynh-Le’s mentor while she was in dental school.

From young alumni couple to long-term changemakers

“Our goal is to inspire our colleagues to start giving,” said Huyhn-Le. “Don’t worry about the amount. Just start with what you can, and then make improvements over time.”

After graduating from MUSC, while Huynh and Huynh-Le were focused on growing their young family and building their practice in Naples, Florida, they also made it a priority to give back.

The couple started with a gift $83.33 per month to help provide scholarships through MUSC’s Dental Loyalty Fund. By growing their gifts over time, they were able to create new scholarships, one by one, and continue to offer them, one year at a time.

“Then I began thinking more seriously about the fact that the scholarship funds will run out in the future when we retire from our noble profession. Naturally, the next step was to proceed with permanently endowing our scholarships,” she explained.

Today, Huynh and Huyhn-Le continue to live and work in Naples with their family. And, they have grown their support for future dentists, far beyond what was possible when they first started.

Huynh-Le sums it up like this:

“In school, we learn the art and craft of dentistry. After graduation, we earn a living by practicing dentistry. At some point in our professional career, we naturally think about how we can return the favor to continue this cycle.”

Pay it forward with an endowment

An endowment is a permanent fund at MUSC that generates an annual payout. Multi-year cash gifts, transfer of appreciated assets, and IRA contributions are all popular methods of giving to build endowments.

Scholarships for dental students are crucial. For more information about how you can establish a scholarship, please contact development director Stephanie D. Oberempt at 843-345-8579 or oberempt@musc.edu.