Challenge gift supports first-generation college student pursuing dental career, inspires alumni to pay it forward on MUSC Day

C.J. Correia and his sister are the first in their family to go to college. “My dad told me, 'You're going to college to do something. It doesn't matter what you do, but you're not working blue collar jobs like I am,'" he said.

C.J. chose the University of South Carolina, just over an hour away from his hometown of North Augusta. Like much of South Carolina, this area is medically underserved because of a lack of affordable health care, a high number of people without health insurance and a shortage of doctors.

"Seeing the limitations to health care and how that affects people's life decisions influenced me to go into public health," C.J. said. Volunteering at hospitals throughout high school and college helped him realize that medicine wasn’t his path. Instead, he found that dentistry could marry his desire to serve the community with his passion for public health.

With this goal in mind, he applied to the James B. Edwards College of Dental Medicine. But C.J. faced a significant hurdle: the cost of tuition.

Across the nation, dental tuition has skyrocketed, driven by the need for dental schools to invest in modern tools and technology to provide students with the best training.

With his parents unable to help financially, C.J. looked into other alternatives, like a work study in the Office of Academic and Student Affairs. “I worked in their office for two and a half years to reduce the amount of money I needed to borrow for tuition,” C.J. explained.

Ultimately, C.J., like many of his classmates, was forced to take out student loans to pay his tuition. Dental students in the U.S. now graduate with an average debt exceeding $290,000. For C.J., who graduated in May, the final tab will be even higher because federal loans are now helping pay for his periodontics residency at the University of Louisville. So far, he says he owes $362,000.

That’s why earning a scholarship was both a privilege and a relief. Just before graduation, C.J. was awarded the Robert B. and Emelia A. O’Neal Scholarship, designated for a fourth-year dental student considered the best in periodontics. The endowed scholarship was established in 2020 with a gift from periodontist Robert B. O’Neal, D.M.D., Class of 1971.

“The Dr. O'Neal scholarship reflected the past four years and all my hard work toward a career in periodontics,” C.J. said. “Coming from a periodontist made the experience even more surreal.”

In 2023, O’Neal contributed an additional $25,000 to his scholarship and challenged fellow alumni to “Pay it forward to the James B. Edwards College of Dental Medicine with any size gift on MUSC Day!” This annual event, held on Giving Tuesday, unites MUSC alumni, employees, faculty, staff and friends to raise funds and awareness for the nonprofit institution.

O’Neal’s challenge not only bolstered his scholarship but also inspired 15 alumni to contribute an additional $4,080 to the college.

C.J. is grateful for Dr. O’Neal’s support. He says MUSC alumni know the challenges students face because they’ve been there. “By offering support – whether through donations or active involvement – you create a positive cycle that benefits future generations of students.”

As for C.J.’s future: He anticipates he’ll finish his residency in 2027. After that, he may return to the South Carolina coast. “I’m always open to doing anything I can for the Charleston community,” he said.