Doerun native pursuing his dreams with help of scholarship

SAVANNAH — Growing up was tough for Doerun native Denerick Simpson. Raised in a single-family household, his father suffered a severe brain injury and was in a vegetative state. And Simpson helped care for a family member with mental health issues while his mother was working long hours.

Today, the 27-year-old graduate student at Savannah State University is the first in his family to attend college, and with the help of a $10,000 scholarship is looking to pursue a degree in dental medicine.

“I’m from the small, but friendly town of Doerun, with a population of 700 last time I checked,” he said. “It’s probably less than that now. I think I can attribute part of my success to growing up there.”

Simpson was one of 10 nationwide recipients of the “Bridging the Dream Scholarship for Graduate Students” from the Sallie Mae Fund, in partnership with the Thurgood Marshall College Fund. He is currently pursuing graduate studies in public administration.

“I would really like to say thank you to the Sallie Mae Fund and Thurgood Marshall College Fund,” he said. “With the money, I will be able to cover the remaining tuition for my school year. I’m really able to be stress-free finally, so I’m excited.”

As a child, Simpson’s life was far from stress-free. To help his mother, he started taking odd jobs as soon as he could.

“I started working at around 12,” he said. “I would pick up pecans, I would (harvest) watermelons. My first job was at Little Caesars (in Moultrie). I would leave school, catch the bus and go to Little Caesars.”

The student attributes his success to a number of influences, including his now-deceased grandmother and great-grandmother and his church upbringing.

“I attended Beulah Grove Baptist Church,” he said. “That was the church I grew up in. I grew up leading devotion, playing the drums. I helped with the youth group. I owe a lot to the church.”

Among Simpson’s more recent influences is his Kappa Phi Alpha Inc. Fraternity members, along with professors Otilia Iancu, Del Bharath, Philip Omunga and Tao Huang.

“It’s a good brotherhood, and we are focused on scholarship and service for all mankind,” said Simpson, who was preparing to take a trip to the New Jersey/New York area to mentor students at a basketball tournament that will include high school students from all over the world together.

There, he said he will talk to students about opportunities available through historically black colleges and universities.

In addition to his studies in the Masters in Planning Administration program, Simpson is part of the Harvard University Bridge to Dental School Program, which he is scheduled to complete in the fall.

Simpson said he plans to continue his service after graduating. One of his mentors has a dental office in Moultrie, and after graduating from dental school he said he would like to return to the area where he grew up to help make a difference by making dental care more accessible.

“Only a small percentage of dentists accept Medicaid,” he said. “And of those, only a small portion are accepting new patients. I’d like to also be involved in advocacy and empowerment and addressing those concerns. My studies have shown me how I can (make) change and affect health issues.

“I also have an interest in teaching others to be dentists. I kind of want to do both. I want to provide care as well as teach academic dentistry. All of my training is training me to dial into these goals, my dreams.”

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