Kayla Golden, RDH
Kayla Golden – Fundraising Powerhouse + Service Champion
My Journey In Dental Hygiene
Howdy! My name is Kayla Golden. I’m originally from the Houston area and now proudly call East Texas home. I earned my Associate of Applied Science in Dental Hygiene from Tyler Junior College in 2005 and have been a passionate dental hygienist and active member of the American Dental Hygienists’ Association ever since. In 2018, I completed my Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene. I’ve been fortunate to spend my 20 year career with the same general practice, Love Cosmetic & General Dentistry, in Marshall, Texas. I have a genuine love for the dental hygiene profession and strongly believe in giving back through service and leadership. Since 2018, I have proudly served on the board for Texas Dental Hygienists’ Association as East Texas Trustee, where I enjoy networking, supporting professional growth, and helping strengthen the voice of dental hygiene across the state. In 2021, I expanded my involvement when I was appointed ADHA Foundation Texas Liaison. Since then, my love for the Foundation has grown every year. It is so much fun to watch my peers show up and show out for the Foundation at our Annual Conference! They jump right in- buying raffle tickets, voting for their favorite school video, playing the silly (and competitive!) game of Head or Tails, and supporting our Lynch Creek Farm fundraiser every fall. I couldn’t be more proud to represent Texas, because our fundraiser success is 100% because of THEM! I have enjoyed participating in service projects such as: volunteering at the Chicago Food bank and filling hygiene kits in New Orleans. In Long Beach I had the opportunity to partner with Colgate Bright Smiles, Bright Futures to teach proper oral hygiene to students at a local school & participate in a beach clean-up. When I’m not in the operatory, you can usually find me spending time with my family or reading a good book in a hammock.
Why I Support the ADHA Foundation
Supporting the Foundation allows me to pour back into the profession that has given me so much—and that means more to me than words can express. Through education, scholarships, and grants the Foundation opens doors and creates opportunities that truly change lives. Being able to support something that invests in our profession and the people behind it is deeply meaningful to me. I’m proud to stand behind the ADHA Foundation and the future it helps build for dental hygienists everywhere.
Explore more stories in our Foundation Faces series below…
Richard Robinson, RDH
Richard Robinson – Community Champion + Entrepreneur Extraordinaire
My Journey Into Dental Hygiene
I’m Richard Robinson, RDH a dental hygienist at Arkansas Family Dental in Little Rock and a community health advocate committed to prevention, education, and equity. I earned my Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) College of Health Professions in 2022. Growing up in Pine Bluff, Arkansas shaped my belief that oral health is deeply connected to confidence, opportunity, and overall wellness and that access to preventive care should never be determined by circumstance.
Alongside clinical care, I stay actively involved in community outreach and community health, providing prevention focused education and mentorship across the lifespan from school-aged youth to working adults in underserved areas. I’m grateful to collaborate with partners who share this mission, including Arkansas Family Dental, Delta Dental of Arkansas, the Delta Dental Foundation, and the ADHA Foundation. Together, these relationships help strengthen prevention efforts, expand access, and elevate pathways into the dental hygiene profession.
My journey is also rooted in representation and legacy. As the second African American male to graduate from UAMS Dental Hygiene, I’m committed to widening the pipeline for those coming behind me. After graduation, I founded MY WHY, a nonprofit focused on improving oral health through education and community engagement, and established The Richard Robinson Scholarship through UAMS to support dental hygiene students facing financial barriers. For me, this work is more than a career it’s a responsibility to open doors and build healthier communities.
My Passion for creating MY WHY
I created MY WHY because I’ve seen firsthand how gaps in education, access, and resources can shape health outcomes for entire families. I believe oral health is a gateway to overall wellness, confidence, and opportunity and no one’s ability to live a healthy life should depend on their ZIP code. MY WHY exists to improve oral health in underserved communities through education and community engagement, meeting people where they are with practical tools, consistent support, and dignity.
My passion is rooted in showing up for the community delivering oral health education, prevention-focused outreach, and mentorship for children, adolescents, and adults. I’m especially committed to building pathways into dental hygiene because representation and access to opportunity matter. When people can see themselves in healthcare, they begin to imagine new possibilities for their future and that’s where lasting change starts.
Partnership has been essential to turning this mission into action. I’m grateful for the support of Arkansas Family Dental, Delta Dental of Arkansas, the Delta Dental Foundation, and the ADHA Foundation. Through the Delta Dental Foundation’s Hygienist Inspired initiative expanding access to care by empowering hygienists to recruit future talent through personal stories, I’m honored to serve as an Arkansas ambassador. With support from the ADHA Foundation, including the Mars Wrigley Grant, we helped launch MY WHY University, focused on inspiring the next generation of dental hygiene professionals through hands-on workshops and early career exposure. My purpose is simple: expand access, open doors, and strengthen communities one conversation, one student, and one smile at a time.
