Eleven years after leaving his dangerous, crime-ridden hometown, 22-year-old Carlos Valdovinos, 51������ senior in the Dental Hygiene Program, is thriving. He is studying for national board exams, gearing up for graduation and looking forward to a future of making a difference by providing direct care to patients.

Not long ago, as a high school student, his sister Angeles encouraged him to enroll at the Yakima Valley Technical Skills Center to earn a certificate in dental assisting. While earning that certification, Carlos realized that assisting was the wrong job in the right profession and began exploring other possibilities.

“As soon as I saw what a dental hygienist does and how big of an impact I could bring to a diverse patient population, I just fell in love with hygiene,” says Carlos, who enjoys coaching people on the importance of oral health to overall health.

When Carlos toured Eastern and learned more about the Dental Hygiene Department, now celebrating its 50th anniversary, he applied right away. In addition to offering a bachelor’s degree in his chosen field, the campus just felt right. “I liked the environment, and I liked the diversity and the overall positivity of the school,” he recalls.

Eastern’s admissions team connected him with scholarship support, says Carlos, adding, “I would have never been able to get my education if it had not been for the donors who helped me financially.”

Eastern proved to be the perfect choice for the first-generation student from Coalcomán Michoacán, Mexico, who pursued opportunity and stayed the course through harder times than most can imagine.

When Carlos was 11 years old, his parents sent him to live with his older sister, Jovita, in Yakima, Washington. They made the tough decision because their community, a city with a beautiful culture located in central-western Mexico, was overrun by drug cartels. Shakedowns, kidnappings, murders and corruption were becoming more common, affecting individuals and families living in the area.

“It was pretty common for us as kids to see big trucks coming down the road loaded with guns and men, or multiple funerals all over for unknown reasons” he says, adding, “There was just violence all around us.”

Throughout his four years at Eastern, news from home reflected the deaths and disappearances of his childhood friends. He also lost family members along the way. All the while, and throughout a pandemic, he longed to return home to help.

“I’ve had moments where I just feel down and I feel like I don’t belong here. There was always a feeling of uncertainty. And, I really miss my family because of a lot of other things that are going on,” Carlos says.

He credits Lisa Bilich, professor and chair of the Dental Hygiene Department, and other faculty and staff with offering unwavering support: “The faculty here have helped me calm myself. [They] reminded me why I am here, the friendships I’ve made here and all important things that have happened along my journey which led me here – and to just keep moving forward.”

The dental hygiene team helped Carlos find his way academically, too. Carlos, who learned advanced math as a fifth-grader in Mexico, sometimes faced challenges with reading and test-taking as an English-as-a-second language student. Bilich and the team connected him with a mentor and a study group. As always, Carlos worked hard alongside classmates and embraced opportunities.

At the 51������ Dental Hygiene Clinic, Carlos and nearly 80 other students provide care for less advantaged members of the community. Carlos honed remarkable provider skills there – earning praise from patients of all ages. He also developed a passion for restorative care. His leadership abilities emerged, and Carlos now serves as president of the Student American Dental Hygiene Association (SADHA).

On May 6, Carlos will make family history as he becomes the first among his 10 siblings to graduate from college. His proud mother will journey from Mexico to attend the commencement and congratulate her son after many years apart.

“I decided to pursue an education to hopefully change the future for other generations,” Carlos said. “I feel like I am a positive role model for my family and friends. My biggest hope is that more will decide to find their true passion that will change the course of their lives for the better. ”

If you’d like to explore options for supporting scholarships for hardworking students in this program, please visit the Dental Hygiene Giving Opportunities webpage.

The dental hygiene department is very proud of the hard working students who dedicate themselves to becoming oral health professionals. Congratulations Jessica on the prestigious scholarship!

On May 7, 2021 the Class of 2021 showed how to do it right! Congratulations to an amazing class who graduated in the middle of a pandemic!

On September 14, 2020, the Spokane City Council voted 6-1 on a contract to begin community water fluoridation. Smile Spokane, a local network of organizations, helped the campaign to negate inequities in oral health in the City of Spokane. Community Water Fluoridation is counted as one of the largest public health success stories in the last 70 years. The Dental Hygiene Department is proud of working with many great organizations to help this pass.

Welcome to Water Fluoridation Spokane!

Arcora Foundation has provided a $43,255 grant to replace aging equipment. This will allow the clinic to provide services when the clinic can open. A big thank you to Arcora!

On Friday May 8, 2020 at 10 a.m. when the BSDH and MSDH class of 2020 should have been lining up for graduation, they logged onto ZOOM instead. Family, friends, staff and faculty joined the virtual celebration. We were able recognize the accomplishments of Faculty, Staff and Students with the Awards presented virtually. As each student’s name was called, friends and faculty were able to recognize them individually. The Class of 2020 demonstrated they have GRIT! Please join the department in recognizing how well the Class of 2020 overcame the challenges.

Our own Senior Kimbo sang the National Anthem and the 51������ Alma Mater. View Kimbo’s performances: ����

Dental Hygiene professors instill more than clinical application of oral care. They share their passion for research and publication. Professor Lorie Speer mentored senior dental hygiene student Kimbo Harward through the publication process in a peer-reviewed journal. When Kimbo and her classmates presented their research at the American Dental Hygienists Association Annual Conference, many people encouraged them to publish their findings. Kimbo answered the call and along with Professor Speer worked diligently to publish. The piece was so well received by the publication, it was made into a continuing education article.

We are very proud of our faculty and students in dental hygiene!

51������ Dental Hygiene to Reach More Vulnerable Patients

Professor Merri Jones RDH, MSDH received a $6,500 grant from MultiCare’s Community Partnership Grants for 2019. This money will allow more resources for dental hygiene students working with five target populations in the community. We are proud of Professor Jones’ commitment to the community and modeling community engagement to the senior dental hygiene students.

Left to right: Christopher Wherity, Regional Director of Community Outreach at Multicare; Professor Merri Jones RDH, MSDH Department of Dental Hygiene, Lisa Bilich RDH, MSEd, Dental Hygiene Department Chair, Laureen O’Hanlon, PhD, CCC-SLP, Dean of the College of Health Sciences and Public Health.

Based upon her thesis research at 51������ on oral manifestations in menopausal women, Windy Rothmund, MSDH,BSDH, RDH, and two-time 51������ alumni was invited to author a continuing education course on Oral Health Implications of Menopause. This course focuses on how “Dental hygienists play an integral role in educating patients about the oral and systemic effects of menopause.”

Alumni can find this continuing education course in the June 2019 issue of the peer-reviewed Dimensions of Dental Hygiene, the journal of professional excellence. Congratulations, Windy, on your hard work and adding to the body of knowledge on women’s health.

Ms. Merri Jones, MSDH, RDH was awarded tenure and promotion to the rank of Associate Professor.

Jones was a Program Coordinator for the 51������ Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene degree completion program at Lake Washington Institute of Technology before joining the Dental Hygiene faculty as Assistant Professor in 2013. Merri teaches undergraduate and graduate research and dental public health courses as well as Foundations of Physiology, Pathology, and Pharmacology.

She is the community coordinator and is a leader in community engagement. Congratulations Merri.