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East Ohio Student Highlight-Lindsay Michael

dental assisting

Traditional 4-Year College Not For Everyone

Commuting from Hammondsville to Youngstown every day in Ohio weather is not only tedious but can be very dangerous for some. But, Dental Assisting student Lindsay Michael was doing just that, every day for three years before enrolling at East Ohio College.

Having her heart set on working in the dental field was always a dream for her but the competitiveness of the Dental Hygiene program at the 4 year university she was attending was becoming more of a dream than a reality. Working full-time at a local tanning salon called Tan City U.S.A., building a home with her future husband, and trying to keep up with her college work was starting to play its toll.

Although, getting into her dream program was becoming a challenge Lindsay was still getting to experience the “college life” and making friendships that still continue today. “I got a taste of what it was like to live independently and make my own choices” said Lindsay Michael.  But again, her dream was becoming more and more out of reach. She ended up switching her major to Early Childhood Education when she was still unable to get in the Dental program.

“However the heart wants what it wants and I knew I had to follow my dream of pursuing my passion of doing something that involved dental.” And, that is exactly what Lindsay Michael did.

After talking to some friends and hearing great things about East Ohio College, the short commute and the short-term programs had everything Lindsay was looking for. “With the help of all the wonderful instructors and staff at East Ohio, I am getting ready to graduate with a degree and have career certifications in something that I have always wanted to do.”

Her favorite part of East Ohio is using her compassion in the labs and having the experience in the externships. Lindsay will be externing at a local dentist office, where she will be using her dental assisting skills. When asked who her favorite instructor was she said: “I am caught between a rock and a hard place with this one. Mrs. Stine [Dental Assisting Program Director] has been my backbone through my whole experience here. From believing in me enough to enroll me in the upper level dental courses with no knowledge of anything dental to dealing with my mental breakdowns. She has supported me in everything and has given me a good laugh just when I needed one most.” According to Lindsay, Mrs. Stine is the true definition of an “awesome person and instructor.” Then Lindsay said “On the other hand, there’s Mr. Ream. Although he was never one of my instructors, Mr. Ream has done so much for me, he has checked on me when I was having a horrible day, helped me with my computer and printer issues, and always making me crack up.”

Currently, Lindsay hobbies consist of job searching, job searching, and more job searching. Her plan is to work at a local general dental practice but will be happy with whatever path she ends up going down. Maybe oral surgery, orthodontics, but as long as she is in the field pursuing the career she loves.  In five years, she plans on becoming an Expanded Functions Dental Assistant (EFDA) or a dental hygienist.

The last question we asked Lindsay Michael was to tell us something unique about herself and she stated it was her past experiences. “What you are today is what happened to you yesterday. Everyone has sweet and sour experiences in their past that have molded then into who they are today. Your personality and individuality emerges from what you have gone through and I would not change my past for anything.”

For important information about the educational debt, earnings, and completion rates of students who attended this program CLICK HERE