Future students in West Virginia University’s Dental Hygiene Program will benefit from a generous planned gift from alumnus Deborah McMechen-Hock.
Deborah is leaving $450,000 in her estate to be added to an endowed scholarship already established in 2008 by her and her late husband, Conrad Hock Jr.
“My hope is that each year when a student receives our scholarship, it will help ease some of their financial burdens, and that it will also instill a desire to give back to the school if they are ever in the financial position to do so,” she said.
The McMechen-Hock Family Scholarship for Dental Hygiene benefits one student per year who meets a 3.0 GPA requirement, is a resident of West Virginia, and displays need for financial aid.
“Deborah’s most recent gift to our Dental Hygiene Program is incredibly generous,” said Dr. Anthony (Tom) Borgia, dean of the WVU School of Dentistry.
“Her announcement provides a tremendous boost of confidence to our hard working students, faculty and staff as the program celebrates its 50th anniversary and continued designation as a Board of Governors Program of Excellence at WVU,” he said. “The McMechen-Hock Family gifts will forever be an important part of our School’s legacy.”
Amy Funk, director of the Dental Hygiene Program, added, “The WVU Dental Hygiene Program is thankful to have a true advocate in Deborah McMechen-Hock. Many students suffer with anxiety because they know they will graduate with a large amount of student debt. Generous scholarships such as the McMechen-Hock Family Scholarship help alleviate this anxiety, thereby allowing the students to concentrate on their didactic, clinical, research, and service components in the curriculum.”
Along with the planned gift and endowed scholarship, other gifts from the Hocks include funding for the conference room on the Health Sciences campus for use by dental hygiene students and staff from the School of Dentistry and WVU’s dental hygiene program.
The funds for the renovation of the room were given in memory of Deborah’s parents, Ruth Gardner Salmons McMechen and Dr. Charles Reid McMechen.
Deborah graduated from WVU’s Dental Hygiene Program in 1968. She then spent two and a half years as a dental hygienist in Richmond, Virginia, before continuing her studies at the University of Missouri where she earned a master’s degree in dental hygiene education.
She has served as a clinical instructor at the University of Tennessee and as a clinical instructor at the Ohio State University Dental School Division of Dental Hygiene. She was also the assistant director of the Caruth School of Dental Hygiene, Baylor College of Dentistry, and served on the Texas State Board of Dental Examiners Dental Hygiene Advisory Board. She is now living in Chapel Hill, N.C.
Deborah knew she wanted to pursue a future in the dental field. She spent numerous summers throughout high school and during her time in the dental hygiene program at WVU working as a dental assistant in her father’s office. She attributes her successful career path in dental hygiene education not only to her father, but also to her mother who was a school teacher.
“In the coming years, my dream would be for each graduating class to work as a group to pool funds representing their class for an annual scholarship” she said. “Also, it would be wonderful to urge graduates to make a donation in their will toward a financial gift that would be a legacy and tribute, giving back for the careers they have as a result of their education at WVU.”
The contribution to the McMechen-Hock Family Scholarship was made in conjunction with A State of Minds: The Campaign for West Virginia’s University. The $1 billion fundraising effort by the WVU Foundation on behalf of the University runs through December 2017.
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CONTACT: Bill Nevin; WVU Foundation
304.284.4056; wnevin@wvuf.org
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