Kaelin Shaker – Associate in Applied Science Degree

Kaelin Shaker - Associate in Arts DegreeFor many college students, completing all the requirements for a rigorous academic program is a challenge. But for Mesa Community College dental hygiene student Kaelin Shaker, 25, it was especially challenging—she had a baby halfway through the program.

Shaker, an Honors Program student, graduates in May with an Associate in Applied Science degree and is eligible to take the written and clinical exams necessary to obtain a license in Dental Hygiene. She plans to transfer to Northern Arizona University’s dental hygiene completion program.

She said the support she received from classmates, faculty, her husband and her parents enabled her to finish her degree on time.

“My pregnancy was fairly easy, but I still experienced a lot of fatigue and some nausea, and my recovery was a lot more difficult than usual,” Shaker said. “But I knew that I was going to graduate, so it didn't stop me from working hard. Having a cute baby pining for your attention definitely made studying and getting homework done more difficult, but it's totally doable.”

Shaker从小就知道她想从事医疗保健，特别是牙齿卫生。

“我问我的卫生学家她对她的工作很喜欢，她告诉我，除了她与患者和同事的关系外，一旦建立了您，您还可以设置自己的日程安排，当时对她有效她有小孩，”梅萨居民夏克说。“之后，我决定牙齿卫生是我想做的。高中毕业后，我开始为该计划的先决条件工作，并在牙科办公室工作了前台，这让我更加兴奋地开始了自己的职业生涯。”

Shaker said she loved attending MCC and took many of her classes at the Red Mountain Campus.

“All of the teachers that I worked with have been amazing, but especially within the hygiene program,” said Shaker, a Presidential Scholarship recipient. “I've never had any difficulty with enrollment; I love the campuses and the resources available at each of them.”

尽管怀孕期间不断忙碌，但Shaker花了一些时间来充电和重新聚焦。

“Everything I needed to succeed, whether it was a quiet room to focus and study, or somewhere to work out to help me relieve some stress, was available to me at MCC,” Shaker said. “Again, I knew I was going to graduate and so I rolled with the punches along the way and kept my sights on my long-term goal.”

至于未来的职业目标，她计划在凤凰城担任牙科卫生员，并最终成为卫生计划的临床教师。她还想进行公共卫生宣传，教导口腔健康的重要性。

Her advice to other students facing challenges?

“Just set your mind on your goal and you will figure it out!”

Find out more about MCC's Dental Hygiene program here://m.channelac.com/departments/applied-sciences-and-technology/dental-hygiene