Photo courtesy State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota.

Combine experiential learning, a meaningful impact, peer support and performance reflection and you have improved a student’s retention of their learning material to nearly 75%. At State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota, our goal is focused on learning outcomes that emphasize subject matter expertise and drive student graduation success.

Our Dental Hygiene associate in science program is one of many that demonstrates the excellence of combining student-centered learning with a community-centered approach. A dental hygiene clinic on the SCF Bradenton campus offers reduced-cost oral hygiene treatment in the region. It is an integral part of the hands-on training for our students. The clinic has 16 industry-current dental units for patient comfort and quality care. 

In addition, Dental Hygiene partners with SCF’s fellow A.S. programs, Radiology and Occupational Therapy Assistant, to host a “Healthy Smiles” event that offers free preventative dental care, including services such as dental exams, x-rays, sensory assessments, and fluoride treatments to children in grades K-12. Three recent events saw the clinic treating over 150 children, with parents and family members often returning for services at a later date. 

The public service event is coordinated by SCF’s Dental Hygiene Program Coordinator of Clinical Education, Shankisha “Kisha” Sizemore, also an alum of the program. She is dedicated to mentoring students one-to-one, working with faculty, teaching lecture courses to juniors and seniors, and expanding access to care for underserved populations in the region.

“Obtaining my degrees has opened many doors for me in my professional career,” Sizemore said. “I knew upon graduating from SCF’s dental hygiene program that I wanted to become a dental hygiene instructor and guide the next generation. Coming back and being an educator and clinical education coordinator at State College of Florida has been such a privilege.”

Kisha is not the only alum who’s returned to her alma mater to pay it forward and demonstrate its quality. Five additional hygienist program graduates, Erin Deckinga, Jill DeGuzman, Jennifer Giles, Melissa Manning and Stefany Zeunskes, volunteer for the free SCF community events. Melissa, Stefany, and Jill also serve as adjunct instructors for the program, inspiring future students and demonstrating the value of experiential learning, impact, peer support and performance reflection.

The excellence of SCF’s Dental Hygiene program and our faculty is reflected by its students who have consistently achieved a 100% pass rate on the National Board Dental Hygiene Exam each year.

To learn more about SCF or its dental hygiene program, visit SCF.edu or SCF.edu/dental-hygiene-clinic.

Tommy Gregory, J.D., is President of State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota.

Photo courtesy State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota.