While most of Rio Salado College’s classes are available online, a few programs have a dedicated in-person component. This is certainly the case for Rio’s Dental Hygiene program, which is training up the next generation of hard-working dental hygienists, including students like Patricia Salazar, a recent Maricopa Community Colleges Foundation 2023 Scholarship recipient.
Salazar, who enrolled in Rio Salado College in September 2023, was drawn to the college for its dental hygiene program. “I have been pursuing this career path since I had first graduated high school and have worked so hard to get to where I am now,” she said. “It feels surreal to enter the program after having waited for so long.”
The Missouri-born Salazar has spent almost her whole life in the Valley of the Sun, working get to where she is now without a family support system to help her. Salazar spent years in foster care until she aged out of the system. While she credits her fiance for motivating and helping her pursue her education, she said that scholarships like the one she received are crucial to help her offset the costs of her education.
“This scholarship will help me pay for supplies I need to get for classes and remove some weight off my shoulders from being so worried about figuring out ways to pay for these necessities,” Salazar said. Salazar is not working at the moment; she is focusing all her time and energy on going to school full-time.
When asked what she enjoys about Rio, Salazar speaks fondly of the in-person side of her education. “I really appreciate the instructors and the environment itself.”
Another aspect of the college that Salazar appreciated was the school’s partnerships with other institutions and how that led her to experiencing new opportunities she wouldn’t have been able to otherwise.
“Rio Salado is currently working with Midwestern University because they needed help with patients,” Salazar said. “So, there was this opportunity to do my second semester at Midwestern and I took it. It opened up doors for opportunities to learn and grow and meet doctors that are graduating and will soon be looking for hygienists.”
Salazar is about to embark on her third semester at Rio Salado this May; she’s on track to complete her program by December 2024. She plans to continue her studies in dental hygiene at NAU, where she will work toward completing her bachelor’s degree. In the long-term, Salazar is interested in becoming an educator and teaching the very curriculum she’s learning right now.
Salazar has come a long way and is very aware of how difficult it can be to chase a dream when you don’t have a robust support network behind you. It’s that knowledge and empathy that will one day make her a great educator.
“School can be such a stressful time but also such a blessing when there are so many people who can’t afford it,” she said.
Applications are currently open for Fall 2024 scholarship through the Maricopa Community Colleges Foundation. One application is all that is required. Complete a form today. The deadline is April 30, 2024.
Article by Austin Brietta
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