Executive Director 
HI Class Dental Learning Center

How do you define success?

Whether it involves my work, my community service or my personal life,
I define success by asking myself these questions:
Do I enjoy what I do and do I do it well?

• Am I the best person I can be?
• Am I making a difference in someone’s life in word or deed?

If the answer to all these questions is a yes, I have succeeded in my purpose.

What do you hope to see in your industry in the next 10 years?

Having good dental health is essential and vital to a healthy life. Developing healthy habits in our oral hygiene routine can prevent future ailments in our general health.

I hope to see a future where dentistry is affordable, where people will understand the importance of taking preventive measures in their daily oral care, and seeing the dental community continue to thrive with innovative technology to achieve efficient procedures while providing patient comfort.

I also envision our future generation excited to discover a career in dentistry where they can play a key role in creating the confidence in someone’s smile.

What do you love most about your job?

There is nothing better than seeing confidence bloom in our students.

Many of our students come to us shy and unsure whether they have what it takes to be employed in the dental field. Our program teaches not only dental assisting skills, but we work to develop and grow good character and work ethic in our students. We believe in their great potential to succeed.

What are some of the biggest challenges facing your industry?

Dental service can be expensive and as a result people will neglect their dental care. Through private and public effort, we need to get to a place where excellent dental care is affordable to everyone. It’s about education, awareness, and committed care providers.

Another challenge is having well-trained staff. The struggle with newly hired inexperienced employees affects the timeliness in dental procedures. This is where I believe our program is able to provide valuable skill sets to our students to equip them for employment.

What advice would you give yourself?

“Extraordinary things can happen in the space between who you are and who you are becoming.”

I once read this passage that resonated within me: You evolve into who you are meant to be, and every change, every experience you have, sews together the fabric of your life.

The advice I would give myself is: “You have a story to tell. Trust your ability, trust your mind and your strength to be limitless and in the end it will reveal someone truly remarkable who has made a difference in this world.”

What do you do for fun?

I love traveling and exploring the world. I enjoy the excitement in researching my destination and experiencing all of my planned activities.

Here at home, fun for me is simple. It’s as simple as a walk in the park, lunch with a friend, or going to the movies with my two boys.

Describe your ideal day.

I begin with prayer, seeking to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and having wisdom to know the difference.

Balance is so important to fulfill my purpose. Fulfillment comes when I reflect back on my day, finishing the things that need to be done, enjoying a fun activity with my two boys and making memories with people who are dear to me.

And then of course, there’s coffee and a spa day…

What are some surprising lessons you learned in becoming a leader?

Great leaders are servants who are accountable to inspire, empower, and have compassion for others.

A few lessons I learned about being a leader:

• Boundaries are very important and should include the magic word NO.
• Time management includes self-care without the guilt
• Effective communication is essential. You waste more time trying to resolve an issue that stemmed from poor communication.
• I’ve also learned that great leaders don’t always have to have all the answers. They just need to know how to go about finding it.