Scholarship Helps Student Make a Difference

Central to all the career paths Susan Thornton (’19 BA, Criminal Justice) has explored is a deep desire to make a difference in her community.

Initially interested in law school, Thornton pursued her bachelor’s degree in criminal justice at UTA while working full time at a dental office and raising two small children. When she needed more flexibility for her role as a caregiver, she shifted gears and began teaching. But she was still searching for additional ways to make an impact.

“While I loved that role, I knew there was something more—something else I was supposed to do,” Thornton says.

She transitioned back to the dental world, serving in a leadership position at a support organization where she worked with new dentists starting their own practices.

“This unique role offered me an opportunity to see firsthand the impact dentistry has on an individual,” Thornton says.

Now a UTA student again, she is studying prerequisites in chemistry, physics, and biology with the goal of attending dental school.

Thornton’s studies are made possible thanks to her Mary I. Gourley Foundation Scholarship, which helps single parents across North Texas afford college while managing caregiving and financial responsibilities. Since 1996, UTA students have received more than $1.2 million in scholarships from the foundation.

After her training, Thornton hopes to become a dentist who serves the community holistically. “My future patients will be educated, encouraged, supported, and treated with compassion while understanding their oral health is connected to their systemic health,” she says. “I have UTA to thank for the opportunity to live my purpose and continue my journey of failing, learning, and growing into a future dentist.”