UA Little Rock Graduate Colleen Gilliland Prepares for a Global Adventure Before Dental School
Colleen Gilliland, a graduating senior at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, is setting her sights on a future in dentistry, but only after experiencing an upcoming gap year filled with travel, growth, and adventures abroad.
Gilliland, a Donaghey Scholar and former soccer captain, will graduate May 17 with a Bachelor of Science in Biology. Originally from Longview, Texas, she transferred to UA Little Rock in 2022 after being recruited to play soccer. The Donaghey Scholars Honors Program, however, was what ultimately sealed the deal.
“It was kind of the perfect storm of soccer and school,” Gilliland said. “I got into Donaghey my senior year of high school, and that solidified everything for me.”
After graduation, she plans to apply to dental school and take a gap year before starting in fall 2026. Her gap year will be filled with travel and work abroad, including a summer as a counselor for Travel for Teens, a summer program for teenagers that will take her through Italy and Greece, a country she fell in love with during a study abroad trip after her freshman year.
“I have the dream of backpacking through Southeast Asia,” she said. “There’s a good pastry school in Bangkok, Thailand, that I’d love to attend. Hopefully I’ll end up in Australia for a few months to live and work.”
Gilliland said her passion for dentistry is rooted in a desire to help others through relationships, hands-on work, and community care. She’ll be following in the footsteps of her older sister, who is attending dental school in Texas.
“For me, being a dentist is the perfect culmination of getting to work with people, getting to work with my hands, and being a part of someone’s story,” she said, adding that she also wants to help people after a friend in high school had an eating disorder.
“Dentists are often the first people to notice the signs of an eating disorder because of damage to the teeth,” she said. “If I have the chance to intervene and help someone early on, that would be huge for me. I would deem my career a success if I can help just one person.”
Dr. Simon Hawkins, director of the Donaghey Scholars Honors Program, praised Gilliand’s accomplishments and leadership.
“Colleen graduates a year early but crammed more into those three years than most do in four,” Hawkins said. “As a pre-dental student, she had a punishing course load but maintained a perfect GPA. Her dental school entrance exam score was in the 99.8th percentile, virtually ensuring her admission to any school in the country. She has been a leader in the Pre-Dental Club, a standout soccer player, and a powerful advocate for student-athletes across campus. She truly represents the best of UA Little Rock.”
During her time at UA Little Rock, Gilliland stayed busy on and off the field. She was named captain of the women’s soccer team during her sophomore year, served on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and the Athletic Director Search Committee, and volunteered regularly with local organizations.
She coached youth soccer for three years with Arkansas Rising Soccer Club and tutored children with Our House’s after-school program. She also served as vice president of the Pre-Dental Club, helping to grow its membership from just four students to more than 30. She volunteers at the City Center Clinic, a nonprofit dental clinic serving underserved patients, and shadows Dr. Rainwater, a local dentist she met while coaching his daughters’ soccer team.
“I think I’ll miss the community more than anything,” Gilliland said. “I love working with kids, so I will miss that. I’ve developed so many mentors not just at the university, but within the community.”
As she reflects on her three years at UA Little Rock, one of her favorite memories is surprisingly low key.
“Last semester, my friends and I would get together every Tuesday night to watch the newest episode of “Dancing with the Stars,’” she said. “We’d eat dinner from The Wow, send in our votes, and argue over who would win. Those were some of my favorite nights because they were a lot of fun.”
Her advice for future students is to get involved.
“The community of Little Rock is so embracing,” Gilliland said. “I feel like I’ve developed so many mentors not just at the university, but within the community. Go to any event where they give out free T-shirts and free food. You’ll meet a lot of people there.”