There are Zoom video calls, and there are great Zoom video calls. Alexis Casarez, who completed her Dental Assisting program at Carrington鈥檚 Portland, Oregon campus in April, knows the difference. When she was invited to log on to a Zoom video call one morning in March, a month before graduation, Alexis was surprised to learn she鈥檇 won a $5,000 Dr. Carolyn Ghazal Dental Assistant Scholarship from the Pacific Dental Services Foundation. She was understandably thrilled.
鈥淭hat was one of the best Zoom calls I鈥檝e ever been on,鈥� says Alexis, 21. 鈥淚 applied for the scholarship in February and did a phone interview with the selection committee a few weeks later. I was then asked to log onto a Zoom call for what I thought was a follow-up interview, but it turned out to be a conference call where all of the scholarship recipients were told we鈥檇 been selected. I was so surprised鈥攁nd grateful.鈥�
For Alexis, it was powerful validation鈥攁nd a reminder that you can鈥檛 win if you鈥檙e not in the game. 鈥淚鈥檓 the first person in my family to go to college,鈥� Alexis explains. 鈥淚 have three younger siblings, and I want to show them that you can do whatever you want to do鈥攁nd be whoever you want to be鈥攊f you鈥檙e willing to apply yourself and work hard. For me, receiving the scholarship was proof that it鈥檚 true. That kind of recognition and support can really help you keep going.鈥� We talked with Alexis about what attracted her to the field of dentistry, what surprised her most about her experience in the Dental Assisting program, and how she landed a full-time job in the field before she had even completed her program.
How did you first hear about Carrington? What motivated you to enroll in the Dental Assisting program?
I originally moved to Portland from Spokane, Washington to go to college to become a teacher. But after taking some classes, it just didn鈥檛 feel like it would be the right long-term career choice for me. I had heard about Carrington from several high school friends who had completed the Medical Radiography program, so I checked out the website to see what other programs they offered. The Dental Assisting program really interested me, so I scheduled a meeting to learn more. Everything happened pretty quickly. Within a month after I applied, I was attending my first classes. 听
What kind of work were you doing before you became a dental assistant?
I worked for nearly four years in the clothing department of a major retail chain. It wasn鈥檛 a bad college job, but for me, it wasn鈥檛 a career. I was tired of folding t-shirts and knowing that every day was pretty much going to be the same. That鈥檚 not what I wanted for my life. I wanted a career with better income, regular hours, and benefits. I wanted to feel like what I was doing mattered and was somehow making a difference. I knew I was capable of more.
What attracted you to a career in dentistry?
As a little girl, I was very self-conscious about my teeth and my smile. I鈥檓 the third of six kids. I come from a low-income family, and I didn鈥檛 always have the best dental care. Now that I鈥檓 an adult, I really want to help educate parents about proper dental care and hygiene so that other kids don鈥檛 feel the way I did and can hopefully feel good about themselves and their smiles.
What surprised you most about the Dental Assisting program?
I never expected the level of individual attention I received from my teachers. It was obvious they cared about their students. They were very open and flexible, and there were times they came in and met with us outside of regular class hours. It felt great to know they really wanted us to succeed. Before I enrolled at Carrington, I attended a community college. It felt much more competitive and less personal. It was a lot harder to meet people, and nobody worked together. At Carrington, the atmosphere was much more supportive and friendly. I鈥檝e made some friends at Carrington that I think will be in my life for a long time. Creating those kinds of relationships is a great side benefit that I never expected.
You landed your current job as a dental assistant before you even graduated. How did that happen?
The dental office where I was doing my six-week externship offered me a full-time position after my third week, and I became an employee as soon as I finished the program and got my certification. It felt so great to know I would already have a job when I graduated.
So what鈥檚 it like to be working as a dental assistant?
I really love it! I鈥檓 mostly assisting our dental hygienist, but I also work with the dentists, assisting them as they do fillings and crowns. I also take x-rays, sterilize equipment, and prepare the treatment room for procedures. I really enjoy interacting with our patients. You meet all kinds of people, so it keeps things interesting. No two days are ever the same. I actually look forward to going to work, which is something I never could say when I was working in retail.
What would you like to be doing in five years?
My plan is to become a dental hygienist. I just signed up for classes at Portland Community College to complete some prerequisite courses, and then I鈥檒l enroll in a dental hygiene program.
What would you tell someone who might be thinking about enrolling in Carrington鈥檚 Dental Assisting program?
If it interests you, I鈥檇 say do it! It鈥檚 a great program that prepared me for a career I really love. For me, the learning environment at Carrington was great because it always felt more collaborative than competitive, which I liked a lot. It never felt like it was about one person trying to outshine another. I really appreciated that kind of team energy. It was about each of us making it鈥攁nd succeeding together.
