SERVICE

Selfless service is always close to my heart. I want to honor the genuine kindness of His Holiness Dalai Lama for educating thousands of homeless children like me. My moral responsibility is to pay forward to the community, school, university, country, and international organizations. It is my inner calling to mentor students who seek my guidance for their professional success.

At the Detroit Mercy Dental, I'm fortunate to make small contributions yearly to the Dean's Circle to educate Detroit Mercy students. I often do this to praise the values of Jesuit institutions and acknowledge the blessing of His Holiness Dalai Lama. It's humbling to realize that I have been featured in Leading Edge magazine and Dean's High Five for presenting at the American College of Prosthodontists, establishing CBCT radiology lab, and being recognized as Pierre Fauchard Academy's Special Faculty Award, Michigan.

Presently, I'm serving as the chair of the educational technology committee. I had the privilege to serve as chair for the constitution and bylaws two years ago. I extensively learned about dental hygiene and graduate programs when I served on their committees. Dr. Judith Jones and I served on the academic handbook committee together to make changes to the academic handbook. Giving constructive feedback to dental and research committee members is always a good feeling. The dental and hygiene students have always acknowledged my teaching and personality to help them succeed academically and professionally. I want to share their original words of appreciation.

At the university level, I'm grateful to receive the 2022 Ex Agere Missione Award from president Dr. Donald Taylor. I have actively participated in the first Biannual McNichols Campus Cleanup at McNichols campus and President's Convocation in 2022. It was a blessing to collaborate with the School of Nursing on the first annual community Health Education Workshop led by Dean Yvonne King last year. Dental students and I connected and helped the surrounding community in a rough neighborhood of Detroit. The previous President, Dr. Garibaldi, and undergraduate students have acknowledged my contribution to Jesuit and Mercy schools for their education. In 2021, I received an opportunity to search for the current university president.

At the national level, I have received a prestigious fellowship from the American College of Dentists. It's humbling to share that the Detroit District Dental Clinic Club and the American College of Prosthodontists invited me as a keynote presenter on the interpretation of cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) and Reaching Students with Great Presentations, respectively. I'm grateful to the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill (UNC) for recognizing my national service by giving me the university's highest award (Beyond Excellence Award) in 2022. UNC has bestowed me with Chancellor's Club privileges in 2019. The University of Washington has invited me to present CBCT in endodontics. The Washington community received it well. I have been active membership in Michigan and American Dental Associations. The Radio Free Asia in Washington, DC, invited me for an oral cancer talk to share my life story with Asian communities in the United States and other countries.

The International College of Dentists (ICD) awarded me a fellowship award in 2021. I have been on active membership of ICD and serving international refugee children and underserved communities in the Himalayan region in Nepal, Tibet, Mustang, and Ladhak region. The Pierre Fauchard Academy has honored me with a fellowship and special faculty appreciation award for international service. The Dalai Lama Trust has selected me for significant scholarships to pursue higher education in the United States. The Dalai Lama Hospital has shown a deep appreciation for volunteering as a dentist to Sera Jey Healthcare Committee for over three years. It was a great joy when I treated the monks, nuns, local Tibetan refugees, and Indian villagers in South India, Karnataka. I'm grateful to Sera Jey Healthcare for recognizing my pro bono work and teaching me the way of life. Internationally, I've given free dental, oral medicine, and radiology services to remote villages in Tibet, Nepal, and India. I'm grateful to all my patients and team members who have allowed me to help them since 2009. Serving my homeless school, where my teachers served as my second parents in refugee tents, is exciting. Tibetan Children's Village (TCV) General Secretary, Mrs. Lobsang Tsomo, has acknowledged my mission service for healthcare and education for Himalayan refugee children and community members every year. My inner calling is to serve underprivileged children and equip them with good education and healthcare. In 2021, we motivated and mentored over 3200 disadvantaged children to pursue education in towns and villages. In 2022, it was a satisfying moment after conducting a mission trip at TCV schools and refugee communities (https://www.tenzindadul.org/mission-trip-2022).

The TCV Chauntra school has acknowledged me for donating a high-quality SONY mirrorless camera, two telephoto zoom lenses, Rode wireless mic for the camera, a micro SD card reader, and an extra battery to establish a photography division in the school. It is helping hundreds of students to learn about photography and create a positive impact on the international level. TCV and underserved children worldwide have the fundamental right to receive quality education and learn modern technology to prepare themselves for a better future. I realized we must preserve Himalayan communities' rich culture and tradition by supporting them with national costumes and instruments. I'm thankful I was able to contribute to funding the national costumes and musical instruments for young children. I am forever grateful to the TCV family for taking good care of me during the most vulnerable days of my life.

His Holiness Dalai Lama has given me a humanitarian award for providing free dental and oral cancer care to over 120,000 underserved children and refugee communities in the Himalayas. Although I'm having the best time at Detroit Mercy, I will always remember to pay forward to refugee communities in the Himalayan regions.

In conclusion, I pray for all the victims of war in Ukraine and Middle Eastern countries to restore peace and harmony in the region. I will continue with my journey of service to humanity and reach other parts of the world with God's blessing and intense desire to help others in need.

-Tenzin Dadul