Andrew White did what a lot of students in the Mahomet Seymour High School class of 2004 did. He left his hometown to attend college. But the lure of family and the opportunities in Mahomet brought the now Doctor White back 10 years later.
“Mahomet is a great area to grow up,” said Dr. White. “The schools gave me every opportunity possible to be in the position to do what I want to do.” And what Dr. White wants to do now is give back to his community.
Dr. White attended Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville starting in the fall of 2004. He was in a pre-dentistry program. He began dental school in Alton, IL, in 2007 and graduated in 2011. After spending three years working in a Federally Qualified Health Center in Southern Illinois, his contract was up. And he knew what the next step was.
“I knew I wanted to move back to Mahomet,” he said.
Dr. White has practiced for the past there months at Schwable Family Dentistry in Savoy. It is a small practice, just him and one other dentist. Currently, Dr. White focuses on building his practice, but he hopes there are opportunities for community service.
“In Southern Illinois, I did presentations at schools and community events,” Dr. White noted. “I want to do that here.” He went on to say he feels presentations at schools and to parents are vitally important to helping kids maintain their dental health.
Dr. White also worked with the staff at a group home for developmentally disabled adults, helping them care for residents’ dental health.
Dr. White’s volunteerism hasn’t changed just because he changed locations. He has begun serving Central Illinois just last week as he volunteered his time with the Champaign County Christian Health Center. The center, which is located in Presence Community Resource center, Champaign, offers free medical and dental services to those in need.
Another Mahomet dentist, Dr. Valerie Woodruff, gave Dr. White the opportunity to serve, according to Dr. White. She is also on the board for the Christian Health Center.
“In the next few weeks, I’ll volunteer there one or two evenings a month,” Dr. White said. “It’s going to be a good thing.”
Any school or community groups interested in having Dr. White speak to them about dental health should contact him at his Savoy office. 351-9096.
For Dr. White, being back in Mahomet means giving back to the community that helped him succeed. And he is happy to be home.
