Sam Bush wants to be a dentist, and believes that Lurleen B. Wallace Community College has given him the necessary foundation to make that dream come true.

Bush, a 2007 graduate of Pleasant Home School, admitted that he wanted to attend a four-year college straight out of high school, but did not have the necessary credits. He has spent the last two years studying at LBWCC, and now has enough course credit to transfer to the University of Alabama.

In addition, he received a transfer honors scholarship, which will pay full tuition for his two years at UA. He hopes to attend dentistry school after finishing in Tuscaloosa.

“The quality of the classes at LBW was kind of surprising to me,” Bush said. “I didn’t have high expectations at first, but the teachers are great and they gave me everything I needed. I’m excited to move on to Alabama, but I appreciate everything I learned at LBW.”

Bush said he especially appreciated a chemistry class with Dr. Brian Cushing.

“I believe he prepared me and the rest of the class really well,” he said. “He is very smart, and that was probably my best class (at LBWCC).”

Bush stayed involved in a number of activities while at LBW, including serving as president of the Student Government Association, science and engineering club and College Republicans. He is also a member of the Phi Beta Kappa and Mu Alpha Theta academic honor societies.

Bush is the third member of his family to serve as SGA president. His father, Wayne, was SGA president at LBWCC-Andalusia and his uncle, Hiram, was an SGA president at MacArthur Technical College (now LBWCC-MacArthur).

As SGA president, Bush will lead the Pledge of Allegiance at tonight’s commencement ceremony. The graduation will be at the Kiwanis Building, starting with a reception at 5:30 p.m., and the actual ceremony beginning at 7 p.m. Alabama Postsecondary Chancellor Bradley Byrne will be the speaker.

Bush said he made many friends at LBWCC, but that “most of them are going to Auburn.”

“I won’t hold that against them,” he joked.

Bush is the son of Wayne and Carmen Bush of Andalusia.