World Smile Day is celebrated on the first Friday in October in honor of the creator of the smiley face image, Harvey Ball. He wanted to dedicate one day each year to “smiles and kind acts throughout the world.”
To celebrate World Smile Day here at the University of Colorado School of Dental Medicine, we asked students in the Advanced Standing International Student Program (ISP), “What makes you smile?” The responses were fun, genuine, sweet and thoughtful.
ISP students have earned a bachelor’s degree in dentistry outside the United States and are now working towards their Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) degree, to be eligible for licensure to practice in the US.
Amola Tandon, BDS, MDS
ISP Class of 2022
Home Country: India
What makes you smile? FaceTime with my daughter.
Asmaa Yagob
ISP Class of 2023
Home Country: Sudan
What makes you smile? Seeing an old friend and eating comfort food.
Adreel W. George
ISP Class of 2022
Home Country: Pakistan
What makes you smile? The uniqueness of individuals.
Chaitanya Anne George
ISP Class of 2023
Home Country: India
What makes you smile? At the end of a long day talking to my family and watching The Office brings a smile to my face.
Shivani Mallishery
ISP Class of 2023
Home Country: India
What makes you smile? A good TV show to binge-watch!
Sondus Alkadri, BDM, M.Dent
ISP Class of 2023
Home Country: Syria
What makes you smile? Remembering my blessings. I smile even if I am in deep sorrow, because it’s the positive universal language that almost everyone can understand.
Alisha Prince
ISP Class of 2022
Home Country: India
What makes you smile? My pets – I have a Labrador and a cat!
Mohita Sharma, BDS
ISP Class of 2023
Home Country: India
What makes you smile? Defeating cancer and moving across the world to pursue my dreams has been a long journey. With this new chance in life, I feel grateful that I get to do what I love, every single day. Seeing that the work I do is bringing a difference in someone’s life and smile is what makes me smile.
Suramya Sharma, BDS, MDS
ISP Class of 2023
Home Country: India
What makes you smile? Looking at cheerful faces outside the window while I sit in a warm, cozy coffee shop, having a splendid cup of cappuccino after a long, fruitful workday on a beautiful rainy twilight when the rare bursts of sunshine reveal a spectacular rainbow in the misty sky. Oh, and cake!
Ruchir Agarwal
ISP Class of 2022
Home Country: India
What makes you smile? Seeing a happy, satisfied patient makes me smile.
Tag @cu_dental on Instagram with #WorldSmileDay to share with us.