Dr. Kalisha Morin
Dentist / Owner / Instructor
She is originally from Holland, Michigan and worked as a dental assistant for Holland Family Dentistry prior to attending dental school. Dr. Morin is eager to provide dental care to the residents of the lakeshore area. She is committed to helping every patient obtain the goals of a healthy smile for a lifetime!
“How do we honor those we have lost? Honor them by living not accidentally but intentionally and bloom unapologetically.” - Robin Arzon
What is MonaLeone? Who is MonaLeone? MonaLeoñe is a purpose driven mission created to impact and inspire the next generation. It is a movement to help our youth find a life full of joy, gratitude, and purpose. Its purpose is to raise awareness and help create a future generation that will live life intentionally with compassion, gratitude, confidence, humility, and authenticity.
My Mom, Mona as many called her, short for Monique, meaning wise, advisor, and counselor; She embodied all these things and more. She taught my sisters and I the importance of hard work and determination. She instilled in us strength amid adversity. My mom was a constant in my life, she was my biggest cheerleader, she believed in me when I did not believe in myself. She always knew we were capable of doing anything we set out to do. I am so thankful to be her daughter.
My father, Cleothys White Jr., a man who left an imprint on everyone he met. He had a contagious laugh; he was incredibly hard working yet so humble and kind. He always told me to stay in school because he did not want me to struggle when it was my time to be out in the workforce. He taught me more than he ever realized, I am so thankful to be his little girl.
As for myself, Dr. Kalisha Leone Morin DDS (Leone, meaning lion, fierce, brave warrior) am thankful to have had amazing parents. I think they knew I would need to one day live up to that name.
2020 was the year of life altering moments. March 4, 2020, my world was rocked. My incredibly beautiful, full of strength and grace mother would be called home at the age of 57. Nine months later, on December 20, 2020, my hardworking and loving father, Cleothys White Jr. was also called home at the age of 60. The death of my father came at a time when I was slowly beginning to heal from losing my mother. He left this world just days before my first Christmas without my mom. 2020 was a year of so much heartbreak, a year that before all the loss, was supposed to signify new beginnings for my career. It was a year that I looked forward to for so long and that I thought would signify so much, yet it took away more than I ever could have imagined.
“Lion, fierce, brave warrior” -Leone. The name I continue to try to embrace each day. They say there is you before and you after a significant moment. I am thankful for the person I was before the loss of my parents; however, I am learning to embrace who I am to become now that they are gone. I am choosing to intentionally honor my parents by creating a legacy to live a life of purpose.
“The sun is a daily reminder that we too can rise again from the darkness, that we too can shine our own light”- S. Ajna
Dr. Kalisha Morin (Founder)
Dr. Kalisha Leone Morin, born and raised in Holland, MI. She attended West Ottawa Public Schools through 9th grade and then graduated High Schoool in 2002 from DayStar Christian Academy. In 2001, Dr. Morin began attending Careeline Tech Center Dental Careers Program which sparked her initial interest in dentistry. Dr. Morin received a Bachelor of Biomedical Science with a minor in Chemistry from Western Michigan University in 2005. In 2009, she earned a Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from the University of Michigan School Dentistry. She started her career working for Muskegon Family Care Dental, where in 2010 she became the Dental Director overseeing a large clinical staff. She served as the Dental Director for 5 years, until she decided to transition into private practice. In 2015 she became the owner of Holland Family Dentistry. A practice that was established in 1977 by her long-term mentor Dr. Ronald Deenik. Holland Family Dentistry has served as one of the leading and preferred providers of dental services in Holland, Michigan for over 40 years.
Dr. Morin’s purpose in life is to inspire and impact the lives of others. Her purpose along with her passion for dentistry, teaching, and mentoring lead her to establish MonaLeone Academy LLC. Over the years Dr. Morin has served as a preceptor to oversee dental students from the University of Michigan School of Dentistry while on external rotations (2009-2015), an extern site for Ross Medical School dental assisting program (2009-2015) and Careeline Tech Center Dental Careers Program (2015-2020).
Dr. Morin strives to provide the most comprehensive up to date dental treatment. She is knowledgeable with industry products, new technology, methods, devices, and procedures. Holland Family Dental offers same day crowns with Cerec PrimeScan and Invisalign. Dr. Morin is a member of the Michigan Dental Association, West Michigan Dental Society, and West Michigan Chamber of Commerce.
Dr. Morin’s quote to live by … “My Mission in life is not to merely survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style.”- Maya Angelou
