2 days Ago By Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso
EL PASO, Texas —There’s no doubt that graduating from dental school is an exciting achievement. But leaving school with student debt can quickly put a damper on the celebration. Building on its support of our region’s future dentists, the GECU Foundation has announced another generous contribution of $325,000 for Hunt School of Dental Medicine scholarships and the dental patient fund.
That increases its total commitment to Texas Tech Health El Paso in 2025 to $425,000, including a $100,000 gift made during the Hunt School of Nursing’s White Coat Ceremony in January, aimed at creating four full-tuition scholarships for nursing students. The dental scholarship announcement was made on Feb. 18 during a brunch to celebrate the inaugural class.
It made for a fitting celebration as the first-ever class of Hunt School of Dental Medicine students – the Class of 2025 – prepares for its historic commencement this May. The upcoming commencement and the GECU Foundation’s generosity are just two of the many achievements that Texas Tech Health El Paso is celebrating on National Dentists Day, March 6. The scholarship's renewal ensures that future dental students will benefit from the same opportunities that empowered three members of the inaugural class to succeed.
Their continued investment reflects GECU Foundation’s philosophy of supporting homegrown health care heroes and is a vote of confidence in our region's first dental school. “Our collaboration with Texas Tech Health El Paso began many years ago, grounded in a strong belief in the vision, purpose, and importance of the dental school. The presence of the school in El Paso and our Borderplex region means that students have the opportunity to pursue the best education in dentistry, close to home and their loved ones,” said Crystal Long, GECU President and CEO.
Since 2001, GECU and the GECU Foundation have provided over $900,000 to Texas Tech Health El Paso as part of their effort to improve health care access and educational opportunities along the U.S.-Mexico border.
This contribution includes a $323,000 gift in 2021 to establish the GECU Scholarships for Hunt School of Dental Medicine students. With the support of partners like GECU and the GECU Foundation, Texas Tech Health El Paso generates an annual economic impact exceeding $864 million and supports 4,500 jobs in our Borderplex region. This collaboration underscores the importance of strategic community investments in improving our region’s economic, educational and health care landscape.
Honoring the inaugural class The luncheon not only celebrated the first graduating cohort but also highlighted the mentorship role these students played in guiding subsequent classes. As pioneers, the Class of 2025 navigated the challenges of establishing traditions and setting academic standards without upperclassmen to lead the way. “The Hunt School of Dental Medicine’s inaugural class has demonstrated remarkable resilience, leadership, and dedication to serving our community,” said Long.
“By continuing to invest in their education, we are not only supporting their futures, but also strengthening the future of dental care in our region.” Michelle Ortiz, Paulette Ramirez, and Steven Venzor were the inaugural 2021 GECU Scholars. All are natives of El Paso and want to support their hometown.
For Ortiz, dentistry was more than just a career choice — it was a family dream. Her mother studied dentistry in Mexico but did not complete her degree. After marrying Ortiz’s father, they moved to the United States, where her mother became a registered dental hygienist in Texas.
The GECU Scholarship allowed Ortiz to pursue her own dream of becoming a dentist. “Dental school is extremely expensive, and taking out loans is a significant part of that. The mental strain of worrying about how I’m going to finance school makes it hard to focus on my studies,” Ortiz said.
“Thankfully, GECU Foundation has helped lessen that burden for me.” Before entering dental school, Ortiz worked as a speech therapist and dental assistant, experiences that shaped her approach to patient care. During her first semester, she had her first clinical experience with a patient in the Texas Tech Dental Oral Health Clinic.
One of her most memorable cases was helping a shy patient regain confidence through denture treatment. Post-graduation, Ortiz plans to serve the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo Tigua Native American tribe. Ramirez’s journey into dentistry was shaped by her personal experiences as a patient and further enriched by her role as a surgical dental assistant.
As a member of the inaugural class, she quickly established strong relationships with her peers and professors. “It's been quite a journey,” Ramirez said. “We didn't have any tutors or upperclassmen to guide us on what to study.
So, we had to learn on our own, which helped us mature as a class. We became very close-knit, and we also received support from our professors.” The GECU Scholarship covered nearly half of Ramirez’s four-year tuition, transforming her from a nervous first-year student into a capable clinician who confidently works with her patients.
Venzor graduated from Silva Magnet High School and the University of Texas at El Paso. He originally planned to attend Texas A&M’s dental school but chose Texas Tech Health El Paso after receiving the foundation’s scholarship, which covered nearly 50% of his education costs and freed him from needing a part-time job. Although he began dental school without any clinical experience, he now possesses extensive experience after completing over a dozen endodontic procedures, including root canals — far more than his peers complete at other dental schools.
“The amount you learn here is simply stunning,” said Venzor. “It makes me feel more confident graduating and entering the workforce.” “It’s amazing how much experience you can gain by attending a school like Texas Tech Health El Paso!” After graduation, Venzor will join El Paso Dentistry 4 Kids, achieving his goal of becoming a comprehensive general dentist serving entire families in his hometown.
His advice to incoming students is to maintain a positive attitude and focus on growth rather than setbacks. Pioneering achievement The Class of 2025, set to become the school's first graduating cohort, has redefined dental education in West Texas. These 40 trailblazing students began treating patients in their first semester, two years earlier than traditional dental programs.
They’ve since provided many of the over 6,000 low-cost dental procedures at the Texas Tech Dental Oral Health Clinic since it opened in 2021. Students now deliver nearly 60,000 clinical hours of dental care annually. The inaugural class is reflective of our region, with 63% being multilingual and 57% first- generation college students.
Their presence is already addressing the severe dentist shortage in West Texas, where the dentist-to-population ratio stands at one per 4,840 residents, compared to the national average of one per 1,638. Ten of the 40 graduates secured highly competitive post-graduate residencies at several of the nation’s prestigious dental schools, including Yale, the University of Washington, and the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, where Hunt School of Dental Medicine students will be two of the six residents in the program. About GECU and the GECU Foundation The GECU Foundation is committed to making a positive impact in the communities served by GECU.
By partnering with local organizations and initiatives, the foundation works to address critical needs and improve the quality of life for individuals and families in Texas and New Mexico. About Texas Tech Health El Paso Texas Tech Health El Paso is the only health sciences center on the U.S.
-Mexico border and serves 108 counties in West Texas that have been historically underserved. It’s a designated Title V Hispanic-Serving Institution, preparing the next generation of health care heroes, 48% of whom identify as Hispanic and are often first-generation students. Established as an independent university in 2013, Texas Tech Health El Paso is a proudly diverse and uniquely innovative destination for education and research.
With a mission of eliminating health care barriers and creating life-changing educational opportunities for Borderplex residents, Texas Tech Health El Paso has graduated over 2,400 doctors, nurses and researchers over the past decade, and will add dentists to its alumni beginning in 2025. For more information, visit ttuhscepimpact.org .
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