Ledjo Palo

UConn School of Dental Medicine

I was born and raised in Korce, Albania, and at the age of 15 moved to Waterbury, Conn. I obtained a B.S. degree in molecular and cell biology from UConn in 2012. Most of my volunteer experiences have been in Waterbury and neighboring towns, where I visited local soup kitchens and helped prepare and distribute food to the needy. On occasion, I was one of the students appointed to go into local elementary schools to demonstrate and teach proper hygiene and oral hygiene habits to the students, most of whom came from low-income and non-English speaking communities.

I sought involvement in the Urban Service Track because I thought it was appropriate for me to give back to communities like the one I came from in whatever way I can. I’ve seen and experienced firsthand what an impact the lack of proper education and care – especially oral care – can have on a person, and I hope that with the help of UST I can educate and provide care to some of the people who need it most. Our economic system is in a dire situation, and the number of needy people is increasing every day. Each and every day more and more people gamble with their health in order to obtain enough resources to get by. I strongly believe that whatever we as students, and in the future as practitioners, can do for the health of the underserved will impact the entire community in a positive manner.