Please join us in welcoming Alisella (Ali) Hernandez – our college intern for Summer 2026! Ali wants to be a pediatric dentist, and she had an amazing role model.. growing up, she received incredible care from our friend and longtime supporter, Dr. Santos Cortez, and that experience inspired her career journey. She was also lucky enough to spend last summer as an intern in his practice, Pediatric Dental Specialists, in Long Beach!

Born and raised in Los Angeles, Ali attended high school at Harbor Teacher Preparation Academy on the Los Angeles Harbor College campus, earning her AA degree as part of their dual-enrollment program. She is now a pre-dental student at Middlebury College in Vermont, where she is double majoring in Molecular Biology/Biochemistry and Psychology.

This summer, she is gaining valuable experience in public health as she researches oral health data and develops oral health-related communications. She is also getting exposure to a multitude of specialties as she shadows our clinical team. These experiences will serve her well when she returns to school for her junior year this fall. She will be conducting research on what causes cavities and gum disease at the bacterial and molecular level!

A first-generation college student working toward becoming the first doctor in her family, she hopes to one day give back to families from under-resourced communities, and her passion for it already shows. We are proud to support her on this journey as she prepares for a future in pediatric dentistry!