Twelve Students Complete Board of Counselors' Leadership Institute 2025

Five-month career development program empowers future oral health leaders

Large group of people in front of UCLA Dentistry backdrop
By School of Dentistry Communications
1 min read

Twelve student doctors from the UCLA School of Dentistry recently completed the 2025 Board of Counselors' Leadership Institute (BOCLI), a career development program designed to strengthen leadership, communication, and career readiness among future dental professionals.

Spanning winter and spring quarters, BOCLI offered weekly evening sessions that blended self-assessments, mentorship, and interactive workshops. Students explored topics such as emotional intelligence, personal branding, financial planning, and leadership in clinical and entrepreneurial settings. They also developed and presented capstone projects that applied leadership principles to real-world challenges.

The 2025 BOCLI cohort was comprised of six fourth-year and an equal number of third-year dental students:

  • Abdullah Abd Essamad, D.D.S. ‘26
  • Harasees Chahal, D.D.S. ‘25
  • Kay Chung, D.D.S. ‘26
  • Alliyah Farahi, D.D.S. ‘26
  • Jude Hindiyeh, D.D.S. ‘26
  • Theodore Kao, D.D.S. ‘25
  • Ariana Kermani, D.D.S. ‘25
  • Caitlin Mispagel, D.D.S. ‘26
  • Anthony Nguyen, M.S., D.D.S. ‘25
  • Matthew Q. Nguyen, D.D.S. ‘25
  • Jay Patel, D.D.S. ‘25
  • Jun Yuang, D.D.S. ‘26

Members of the School’s Board of Counselors (BOC) curated weekly speaker sessions, inviting highly-accomplished members of their professional networks both in dentistry and beyond. BOC members and students then huddled to de-brief on what they learned from each speaker, while also engaging in mentorship sessions. one-on-one guidance and career insight. The 2025 BOCLI committee included:

  • Oariona Lowe, D.D.S., P.D. ’84, M.P.H. ’16, Chair
  • Mitra Mogharabi, D.D.S. ’90, Vice-Chair
  • Naomi Ellison, D.D.S. ‘81
  • Kami Hoss, D.D.S. ’93, M.S.
  • Steven K. Okamoto, D.D.S. ’84, G.P. ’85, A.P. ’88
  • Joan Otomo-Corgel, D.D.S. ’76, M.P.H. ’80
  • Gerald Roodzant, D.D.S. ‘79
  • Teresa Yang, D.D.S. ‘83
  • Paul Krebsbach, D.D.S., Ph.D., ex-officio
  • Dr. Ron Mito, D.D.S. 76, advisor
  • Daniel Castillo, M.B.A., staff liaison

Reflecting on the experience, Class of 2025 President Matthew Q. Nguyen shared:

“Every Wednesday night of the program, I looked forward to learning new information about dentistry and ways to expand my leadership opportunities for the future. As I learned more about myself at each session, I realized the potential I have in my community as a dental professional. The Board of Counselors and the guest lecturers have been such an integral part of my professional growth.”