Written by: Cadet Nader Afana
My name is Nader Afana and I am from Omaha, Nebraska. I am currently a senior at UNL working
towards receiving a Bachelor’s Degree in Chemistry. I decided to pursue dentistry because it had everything I was looking for in a career. As a dentist, no two days are exactly the same and each case is an opportunity for problem solving to help each patient solve whatever issues they may be facing. Knowing dentistry was what I wanted to do, I began my journey to creating a competitive application for myself. Extracurriculars, leadership, and volunteering experiences were my top priorities. ROTC helped to provide me with those specific opportunities that were essential to my application. I was accepted to the Creighton University School of Dentistry and will be beginning classes next Fall. Being in the AFROTC program also allowed me to apply for the Dental HPSP.
This is a scholarship that pays for dental school and puts me on an educational delay for serving my time commitment through ROTC until I am finished with dental school. After I graduate dental school, I am hoping to be stationed overseas as that has been one of my lifelong goals. If there is someone that is looking to become a doctor or dentist in the military, ROTC is one of the best ways to do so. There are so many opportunities to put yourself ahead of others also looking to apply to med/dental school.
