SCHIMSS 2019 Scholarship Winners
SCHIMSS is pleased to announce the winners of our 2019/2020 annual scholarship. Please take a moment to read the bio’s of Shannon Sommers and Sujata Aryal. Congratulations to both of them on their accomplishment as each SC HIMSS Scholarship Recipient receives $3000! Please see the full details of our scholarship program HERE
Shannon Sommers, RDH, BTDH
Shannon Sommers is a Registered Dental Hygienist and currently resides in Charleston, South Carolina. Shannon was born and raised in a small town in Arkansas where her career in dentistry began as a dental assistant. Aspiring to improve the oral health of individuals, Shannon’s journey to becoming a dental hygienist started with taking courses at North Arkansas College in 1999. She relocated to Charleston in 2002 and completed her hygiene degree and graduated from Trident Technical College in 2006. Shannon served as secretary for the Student American Dental Hygienists’ Association for the class and was nominated for The National Who’s Who Among American Students. Shannon continued her studies in dental hygiene and completed a Bachelor of Technology in Dental Hygiene in 2013 from The State University of New York at Canton. Shannon has been an active member in The American Dental Hygienists’ Association by serving as secretary, vice president, and president of the local Charleston component, and received the Outstanding Component Member award in 2012.
Shannon has participated in numerous community service projects, which include dental hygiene education within the local schools and related activities within the dental hygiene association. During her pursuit to educate and raise awareness, Shannon also developed two continuing education courses related to dental hygiene and disease.
Shannon is currently a student in the Master of Science in Health Informatics program at The Medical University of South Carolina, with the intention of continuing to improve the overall health of the population. She is a member of the Charleston chapter of the South Carolina HIMSS and looks forward to advancing the use of Dental Informatics in dentistry.
Sujata Aryal
I have been a student here in the states since 2015. I have a bachelor’s degree in Microbiology from Nepal. I also have a master’s degree in Environmental Safety and Health Management from University of Findlay, Ohio. I am currently done with my first semester in the University of South Carolina, in Integrated Information Technology. I worked as microbiology and non-metal analyst in Shealy Environmental Services in West Columbia, South Carolina for about a year. All through out my journey through science and technology, I feel that right now I am in the field of my calling. I have dabbled with the scenario on health management in my earlier degree, I am now acquiring a more direct knowledge and ideas of how technology has direct effects in setting the base for the current health care scenario.
I have loved writing and reading since a young age. I love to travel and have so far managed to see many places in United States from Miami to New York, and California to Colorado. I strive to keep learning the ways of American life where everyday a new cultural surprise emerges. I want to continue learning and growing with the growing health care scene today.
