Dental hygiene alumni: Global care-givers reunite

Alumni who, as students, provided oral health care in third-world countries reunited on campus last week to reminisce and to celebrate how the experience continues to shape their outlooks.

Since 2008, Rhonda J. Seebold, part-time instructor of dental hygiene, has taught classes that concluded with travel to Nicaragua (2008-2015), and Dominican Republic (2016-2024). With a two-year hiatus during the pandemic, the 15th class traveled to the Dominican this summer.

Ann Marie Prosser, who traveled to Nicaragua as a student in 2009 then volunteered with the group as an alumna in 2011 and 2012, says that during her experience there she was “bit by the travel bug,” and she found other volunteer travel opportunities. Her full-time work is providing oral health care to students at Milton Hershey School, a private, tuition-free boarding school. She earned an associate degree in dental hygiene in 2009 and a bachelor’s in dental hygiene: health policy & administration in 2010. She shared stories of good food, a friendly pig, and relationships she formed with children, parents and teachers at La Escuelita, where the dental hygiene students provided oral care.

“The Nicaragua trips will always foster the fondest memories for me,” she said.

The experience has attracted repeat visits by many alumni. Karlee E. Moyer, who graduated with her associate and bachelor’s degrees in dental hygiene in 2018, received recognition during the reunion for making the most trips: six so far.

Alaina M. Murren first visited the Sosua region of the Dominican Republic – where she would return as a Penn College student – as a high school freshman when her parents took her on a trip to serve with CUPS Mission helping to provide water filtration systems. Her family visited again in her senior year in high school to replenish the filters and visit orphanages. When she learned the college class would travel to the same region in 2019 to provide dental care through CUPS Mission, she knew she had to go.

“That trip was eye-opening,” she said. “I was wondering: How will I help? How will my field make a difference?”

She saw changes from her previous visits: Kids who were not attending school were now funded to attend; they were now eating and drinking; they had shoes on their feet.

“Our trips were full-circle for me, because I saw the transformation from children not having a house to having a stable household. They hadn’t had health care; now they were receiving dental care.”

It sparked her imagination: “Where else can I go?” she asked.

She joined a medical mission group and traveled to Honduras, and she began finding volunteer roles in her hometown as she took a job at her childhood dentist’s office. Murren, who completed her associate and bachelor’s degrees in 2020 and 2021, is a dental recruiter.

“It helped me to see that there’s still a huge need for help in my own community,” she said.

The alumni also heard about the capstone project of Regan G. Kline, who is completing a bachelor’s degree in dental hygiene and made her second trip to the Dominican with the Penn College group this summer. Kline presented data on the services provided in Sosua over the past five years. Also addressing the group were Daniel J. Clasby, assistant dean of academic operations, who told the group that their work has inspired faculty in other majors to seek global hands-on experiences for students, and Lori A. Boos, alumni and career engagement manager.

Seebold repeated a favorite adage from revered college basketball coach John Wooden, who said that you haven’t lived a perfect day if you haven’t helped someone who can never repay you.

“It’s a great quote to live by,” she told the group. “Because that’s what you did for the children in the Dominican and Honduras.”