HSDA chapter wins first place in Orgullo video competition

Group photos of dental students and a faculty member holding an award. — Members of the UTHealth Houston School of Dentistry's Hispanic Student Dental Association Chapter won first place and were awarded $2,500 for their video submission in the Orgullo Competition. Photo by Dylan Allen.

Group photo of people at the front of a lecture room. — The Hispanic Student Dental Association Chapter at UTHealth Houston School of Dentistry used a scene from the 2004 movie "Mean Girls" as inspiration for their award-winning video submission.

The Hispanic Student Dental Association Chapter at UTHealth Houston School of Dentistry garnered first place in the annual Crest Oral-B Orgullo Competition. The student members participated in the national event held June 20 in New York City as part of the Hispanic Dental Association’s Annual Meeting.

For the competition, students were to submit a one-minute bilingual video centered around a message that would be particularly impactful to change a patient’s behavior to improve their oral health.

“It’s an honor to be able to represent our school at a national level,” said HSDA Chapter President Sergio Solis, member of the DDS Class of 2026. “Speaking as a Latino, I have always felt that UTHealth Houston School of Dentistry is a welcoming place for us Hispanics. This is a school that actively supports our chapter and this has allowed us to reach such high standards.

“Additionally, to be able to go out and show the passion and dedication that our HSDA chapter and school has towards Hispanic representation was incredibly fulfilling.”

The creative direction of the video was inspired by a scene in the 2004 blockbuster movie “Mean Girls.”

As the winning group of the competition, the School of Dentistry’s HSDA chapter was awarded a cash prize of $2,500. The chapter looks forward to competing in next year’s competition and participating in many events within the organization throughout the year.

“Being a part of the HDA has allowed me to meet many amazing and inspiring Hispanic dentists and dental students,” said Solis. “Hearing about everyone’s journey into the dental field as well as seeing many of their accomplishments encourages me to pursue greater goals and motivates me to be a role model for others like me.”

HSDA chapter co-advisors Associate Professor Gisela V. Bona, DDS, MS, and Professor H. Phillip Pierpont, DDS, who were honored to oversee the students participating in the nationwide competition.

The mission of the Orgullo Awards is to advance healthier Hispanic communities through preventative oral health education. Orgullo is Spanish for “pride,” and this series of awards allows students to showcase their pride and camaraderie in pursuit of excellence in preventative dental education and patient motivation.