In 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Omar Moawad—an Egyptian immigrant determined to build a new future—took a chance on himself and on JVS by enrolling in the inaugural cohort of the Foundations in Dental Assisting training program. He excelled throughout the two-month training and externship, and he quickly landed a Dental Assistant role at a local dental practice. Since then, Omar has returned to the training program as an instructor and mentor to new JVS participants who envision brighter futures for themselves—just as Omar once did. Today, Omar’s journey continues to unfold; he was recently accepted into multiple dental schools and will begin pursuing his DDS at USC in the fall.

“JVS gave me a chance—a foundation. Through their program, I gained not only a job and financial stability but also the confidence to pursue something bigger.”