SCC’s founding Dental Assisting class celebrates at pinning ceremony
Members of SCC’s first Dental Assisting class are pictured here with their instructors. Front row, from left: Instructor Kristy Lance, Kayla McEntire of Sylva, Nicole Toner of Whittier, Emily Pilkerton of Franklin, Diya Patel of Sylva, Ashley Lopez of Franklin and Abra Brooks, SCC’s Dental Hygiene Program Coordinator. Middle row, from left: SCC instructor Jeniffer Nicholson, Awee French of Dillsboro, Haley Henderson of Franklin, Kelle Williams of Robbinsville, and Kaylee Cornelius of Murphy. Back row: Madeline Potts of Cashiers, Akram Patel of Sylva, Kaitlyn Richmond of Sylva, Ansley Welch of Waynesville and Alexandria Trantham of Cullowhee. Donated photo
Less than a year after starting their studies, the very first Dental Assisting students in Southwestern Community College history earned their diplomas and are addressing the labor shortage in their chosen career field.
Dressed in stylish purple scrubs, 15 graduates received honorary pins during a ceremony commemorating their accomplishments on July 24 at SCC’s Jackson Campus in Sylva.
All 15 completed 384 hours of clinical training at may welcoming dental facilities in the community. The students also had three semesters of classroom education.
Southwestern is in the process of constructing lab and clinical space for Dental Assisting in Founders Hall on the Jackson Campus, and college officials plan to launch a Dental Hygiene program — pending approval from the Commission on Dental Accreditation — within a couple of years.
For more information about training for future Dental Care professionals, visit southwesterncc.edu or contact Brooks at 828.339.4319 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
