Ahead of Elon University’s 136th Commencement on May 22, 2026, Today at Elon is highlighting several graduating seniors who have made the most of their Elon experience.
When Jonathan Weaver ‘26 arrived at Elon originally as a finance major, he thought in the back of his mind he wanted to do something in healthcare. During his first year, he switched career paths and changed his major to biology with the goal of going to dental school.
Weaver’s interest in dentistry grew out of hands-on exploration. In high school, he shadowed professionals across multiple fields, including physicians, dentists and finance professionals. Dentistry stood out.
“I really liked the unique long-term connection with patients since you can have patients for years and build those relationships over time,” Weaver said.
Once at Elon, he quickly joined the Pre-Health Society and met Yuko Miyamoto, associate professor of biology, who took him under her wing to grow the pre-dental cohort. Throughout his time at Elon, he worked with other students to build the pre-dental cohort.
“There were only three or four people ahead of me on the pre-dental path,” Weaver said. “We worked together to build a community and help each other through the process.”
The road to dental school is a competitive and lengthy process. Weaver completed prerequisite courses, including biology, chemistry, physics, organic chemistry, anatomy and more, while also studying for the dental admission test and securing multiple letters of recommendation.
“Every school is so individualized in what they want on the application, so I had to do a lot of research on my own,” Weaver said.
Weaver applied to 27 dental schools, carefully tracking each application on a detailed spreadsheet.
While home for Winter Break, on Dec. 15, National Decision Day for dental schools, he received acceptances from several dental schools. But it was news he received from The Ohio State University, his top choice program, that changed the trajectory of his life.
“At 8:30 a.m. a third-year student called me and asked how my day was going,” Weaver recalled. “Then he said, ‘What if I told you something that would make your day better?’ That’s when I knew. I had my Ohio State hat sitting next to me and after I hung up, I put it on and my family started cheering. It was a huge weight lifted off my shoulders.”
This fall, Weaver will start dental school at The Ohio State University and is looking forward to working towards the same goal as his classmates.
“I’m excited to be part of a group where everyone is on the same path,” Weaver said. “It will be challenging, but I know I’ll be motivated because it’s what I want to do.”
Making the most of his time at Elon
Beyond the classroom, Weaver has taken advantage of the experiences offered to students. He is a member of the Pre-Health Society, the Sport Management Society and two honor societies, including Beta Beta Beta, a biology honor society, and Sigma Iota Epsilon, an honor society in the field of management. He also served on the Interfraternity Council as the vice president of community service and philanthropy and was a member of the Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity. He also spent a year as a kicker on Elon’s football team.
He credits a Winter Term study abroad course focused on Holocaust history as a transformative experience.
“That study abroad experience shaped who I am,” Weaver said. “I learned a lot and it gave me something meaningful to talk about during my interviews for dental school while helping me grow as a person.”
Reflecting on his time at Elon, he encourages students to get involved on campus.
“Try different things, even if you are not sure what you want to pursue,” Weaver said. “Elon gives you the opportunity to take unique classes and be involved in many things.”