George T. has been interested in dental hygiene (DH) for nearly 20 years. So when he retired from the U.S. Air Force after 20 years of service, he knew exactly what career he was going to pursue next.
While in the Air Force, he inspected military aircraft before and after flights, removed and installed aircraft components and repaired any damage to the aircrafts.
Now he attends Concorde Career College, Aurora and plans to start inspecting teeth once he graduates from the DH program in 2021.
Learning Close to Home
George was used to being away from family for long periods of time and knew he needed a program close to his new home in Colorado.
“Family is something that is really important to me, especially after I went 20 years without seeing them consistently, which is why I moved to Aurora after retiring,” he said.
When George searched for a DH program, he found only four in Colorado, including Concorde, Aurora's Dental Hygiene program.
“I knew Concorde was great the moment I walked into the door,” he said. “They treated me so well and made sure I was set up for success.”
George was not only impressed by Concorde’s supportive faculty, but the campus’ location was also a perfect fit. The short commute allowed him to spend more time with family. It was also close to his in-laws, who were able to assist with childcare while both George and his wife worked and went back to school.
He has excelled at Concorde both academically and as a Lamplighter and was selected as a Colorado Association of Career Colleges and Schools Student of the Year for 2020. George especially enjoys the chance to work with patients in the campus dental clinic.
“It’s one thing to learn skills and concepts from a book, but practicing in the clinic is a whole different story,” he said. “Not only do I learn so much from the hands-on work, but Concorde also has such a diverse team of faculty with so much knowledge and experience to help me refine my new skills.”
Concorde Runs in the Family
George met his wife, Brandy, in the Air Force and now both are pursuing degrees at Concorde.
“She wasn’t sure what she wanted to do after she retired from the Air Force, but Concorde’s admissions team talked with her and found the perfect fit,” said George.
Since June 2019, Brandy has been in the Concorde Respiratory Therapy (RT) program.
“She absolutely enjoys what she does and every day at Concorde,” George said. “Completing clinical hours working with real patients in local intensive care units really validates that she made the right choice to go into RT.”
After graduation and more years in the field, George would like to open his own dental practice.
“In Colorado, hygienists are allowed to own a dental practice,” George said. “I hope to gain a little more experience under my belt and find a dentist to be my business partner. DH is something I plan to do until I retire.”
George and Brandy are on track to graduate in May 2021 and December 2020, respectively.
“We are both so happy with our decision to go into the healthcare field,” he said. “We both have dedicated our entire adult lives to public service and Concorde is allowing us to continue that through healthcare.”
