Sixteen dental hygiene program students from State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota were honored with their white coats and dental hygiene pins on April 30. The special ceremony was part of the college’s weeklong Spring 2025 commencement festivities, including graduates, families, friends, and SCF faculty and staff who joined the milestone celebrations. The students graduated on May 2 with associate in science degrees and are ready to start their health care professions.

The event featured Shankisha Sizemore, MSDH, CRDH, dental hygiene program coordinator of clinical education, welcome remarks; Leah Spangler, Spring 2025 dental hygiene program graduate speaker, class comments; Erin Deckinga, CRDH, President of Florida Dental Hygienists’ Association, keynote address; and Kimberly Bastin, Ed.D., dental hygiene program director and assistant dean of health professions, closing remarks.

Award recipients included Aria Latos, Academic Achievement Award; Brittany Guzman, Patient Education Award; Melissa De La Paz, Colgate Star Award; and Daphney Tanelus, Hu-Friedy Golden Scaler Award. Manatee Dental Society provided grant funding for the awards. The West Coast Dental Hygienists’ Association presented the Future Leader award to Melissa De La Paz.

The dental hygiene program’s students have consistently achieved a 100% pass rate on the National Board Dental Hygiene Exam. The white coat ceremony marks a significant achievement for the graduates – the conclusion of licensure board examinations, including the dental hygiene clinical exam on the white coat ceremony day.

For information about the SCF Dental Hygiene Program, visit SCF.edu.