Dr. Giles Willis, Jr.
The Upward Bound Program at Southern Arkansas University will host its annual Senior Recognition and Awards Ceremony on Saturday, May 3, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. in Harton Theater on the University campus.
The event will honor 38 graduating seniors representing seven high schools across Southwest Arkansas. Among these students, 27 will participate in the program’s Upward Bound Bridge initiative, enrolling in up to six hours of college coursework at SAU during the first summer session. Additionally, 17 of these graduates plan to attend SAU beginning in the fall semester.
2025 Upward Bound Graduates:
- Arkansas High School: Brittney Brewer, Makashia Edens, Kaitlin Meadows, Sidney Watson
- Camden Fairview High School: Alyssa Olivarez
- El Dorado High School: Rion Jones
- Hope High School: Karah Bowden, Kimberly Contreras, Aria Grigsby, Kimorya Grigsby, Sonyia McDonald, Anayah Thornton, Kania Tucker, Arrington Turner
- Lafayette High School: McKenzie Conner, Aundrunita Mack, Kenosha Stevens, Nakiya White
- Magnolia High School: Jaiden Arnold, Corderious Biddle, Ta’Nessiya Biddle, Brayden Chambliss, Camarie Christopher, Alicia Conner, Wil’Zharia Davis, Jerry Dority III, Ma’Kyree Douglas, Masaria Easter, Aundria Gilbert, Earnesteen Gilbert, Za’Naria Gill-Gilmore, Breaunna Mallory, Uriah McPherson, Braden Purifoy, C’Asia Strahan, Chloe Torrence
- Prescott High School: Padrin Davis, Kyla Joseph
Dr. Giles Willis, Jr., DDS, MPH, a distinguished healthcare professional and Arkansas native, will deliver the keynote address. Dr. Willis was born and raised in Lewisville, Arkansas, where he developed a passion for service and community engagement early in life. A salutatorian graduate of Lewisville High School, he earned his undergraduate degree with honors from the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff. He later completed his Doctor of Dental Surgery at the prestigious Howard University College of Dentistry.
Dr. Willis completed his dental residency at Our Lady of Mercy Hospital in the Bronx, New York. He later earned a Master of Public Health degree from A.T. Still University in Missouri with a dental emphasis.
Dr. Willis has served marginalized communities with limited access to affordable dental care throughout his career. He worked in public health in an area of rural North Carolina reminiscent of his hometown. He has treated Hurricane Katrina victims in Louisiana, families living in remote jungle areas of Honduras, homeless people, and those recently out of drug rehab in North Carolina.
In 2019, when Dr. Willis’ mom mentioned that the same dental office he had visited as a child was available for sale, he offered to buy it. As fate would have it, his offer was accepted the same day. In 2021, he returned home to Arkansas. Full circle, he now has a non-profit dental office in his home county, Lafayette County Dental Clinic, where he provides dental treatment twice a month to a community that has not had a dentist in over 20 years.
He is a member of the American Dental Association, Academy of General Dentistry, Arkansas.
Dr. Willis is affiliated with several professional organizations, including the American Dental Association, the Arkansas State Dental Association, the Academy of General Dentistry, and the American Orthodontic Society. He is also a Life Member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.
When not practicing dentistry, Dr. Willis enjoys reading with his book club, playing softball, and cheering on his favorite teams—the UAPB Golden Lions, Arkansas Razorbacks, and Pittsburgh Steelers. He resides in Arkansas with his wife, Kimberly, and daughter, Eden.
The Upward Bound Program at SAU is proud to recognize the accomplishments of the Class of 2025 and looks forward to celebrating the promising futures of its graduates.
