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Students
Jan Cowper Scholarship
$500 – for any student entering or currently enrolled in an accredited Dental Assistant training institution
Jan Cowper has served her profession and community as a dedicated employee and volunteer for 30 +years. She has been employed in private practice, taught at Holland College, taught a Dental Reception course at the Atlantic Business College, one of two team leads for the Medical / Dental Authorization Centre at Medavie Blue Cross. Jan is currently employed for the Department of National Defense in a Canadian Armed Forces Base dental clinic.
Jan was instrumental in the development and implementation of the National Dental Assisting Examination Board’s clinical practice exam. She is a facilitator for the Maritime provinces and serves the National Dental Assisting Examination Board in both official languages. Jan has been active in her professional association since graduation, and has held leadership positions in local, provincial, and national levels as the president of PEI Dental Assistants Association, the president of the NB Dental Assistants Association (NBDAA), and as the president of the Canadian Dental Assistants Association.
In 2018, she participated in Harvard Business School’s ManageMentor program for Medavie leaders, graduating as an Elite graduate. In 2019 Jan received the Holland College Distinguished Alumni Award, the first ever awarded to a graduate of the Dental Assisting Program and the Alumni Associations most prestigious award.
Jan has also volunteered with the Ronald McDonald Room at the Moncton City Hospital, the Heart & Stroke Foundation, and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. Jan received her 25-year service pin for active membership in the NBDAA. She continues to serve on the Board of Directors and remains active in her professional association as well as her community. Jan is an encouragement to dental assistants in the Maritime provinces and an advocate of the professional across the country.
Suzie Dignam Scholarship
$500 – for a student entering any program who is a child of a registered member of NBDAA
Suzie has always had a passion for the dental assisting profession, always had everyone’s best interest at heart and was always there to help others along the way.
Suzie served as local President for over 15 years, sat on all levels of boards, SJDAA, NBDAA (many terms), NDAEB and CDAA. She founded the job bank and received the Ann Coughlan award. She also received a recognition award from CDAA & NDAEB.
She organized several continuing education opportunities and volunteered promoting dental assisting to others and teaching OHI to school children. She taught at the Saint John Academy of Dental Assisting.
She started dental assisting in 1987, hired by a Dentist and trained. Enrolled in the dental assisting program put forth by the Dental Society in 1990 and joined the SJDAA at that time and became licensed in 1991. She worked for several dentists during this time to present, obtaining all core skills she could, as well as the Ortho module.
During these years, she got married and had 3 children and continued to work in the profession, whether it was full time, part time or for fill ins. She received a token of appreciation from the City of Saint John for her involvement with PRO KIDS.