Runners and walkers of all ages gathered at the track of Pope John Paul II High in Royersford for the Tierra L. Dobry Foundation’s ninth annual Routes of Hope 5K Run/Walk on Saturday, Nov. 9.

The Dobry family holds the event in memory of their wife/mother, Tierra, a dental hygienist who lost her battle with cancer in 2010. Tierra Dobry graduated from the first class of Montgomery County Community College’s Dental Hygiene program. The Dobry Foundation donates the proceeds from the event to support student scholarships and community outreach programs.

Last year, the Dobry Foundation donated $1,600 to MCCC to support the dental sealant program, which provided sealants to more than 85 children. Since the Dobry family started Routes of Hope, the Foundation has provided 23 scholarships to MCCC’s dental hygiene students.

This year, there are six scholarship recipients:

Bisa Bullock is a second-year student from Philadelphia. She has a passion for helping underserved patients and providing them with oral health education.

Jennifer Koecher is a first-year student from Lansdale. She became interested in oral health when working as a surgical technician at an animal hospital and assisting during animal oral surgeries.

Kelly Sheehan is a first-year student from Warminster. Kelly had other jobs in data entry and real estate but wanted a career doing something hands on that made a difference in patients' lives.

Flavia Subashi is a first-year student from Royersford. Flavia wants to be able to give patients confidence in their smiles so they can smile more often.

Kaitlyn Ussa is a first-year student from Lansdale. She loved her dental hygienist as a child and always wanted a career in the field.

Christa Waltenbaugh is a second-year student from Telford. Christa is looking forward to graduating from the program and providing health education in her community.

MCCC’s Dental Hygiene program currently has 80 students enrolled and 96% of those students have  work and family responsibilities outside of attending college.

"They need to maintain jobs to provide food, electricity, pay rent, and arrange childcare services, in addition to attending classes and paying tuition," said Kimberly Beadencup, the director of MCCC's Dental Hygiene program. "Every scholarship dollar is meaningful and helps the students to be successful. The College and our students greatly appreciate the scholarships from the Dobry Foundation."

More about MCCC’s Dental Hygiene Program

Dental Hygiene students attended Pennsylvania Dental Hygienist’s Association (PDHA) Keystone Dental Health Conference in King of Prussia on Nov. 9-10. Second-year students Linsday Seaner and Lauren Geller were selected by PDHA to serve as Emerging Leaders for the business meeting portion of the conference. This award is given to students that demonstrate integrity and professional growth as a student and possess a high potential for leadership in the organization as a future professional member.  

Three students’ informative poster sessions finished in the top 10 from all across the state (12 schools total): 10th place was Mekenzie McClave and Amanda Wilson on Dental Anxiety; 9th place was Tom Wrigley and Madolyn Bacon on Forensic Odontology; and runner-ups were Haley Navarro and Francesca Alongi on Oral Cancer Screenings.

Additionally, part-time faculty member Lisandra Maisonet was recognized as the Pennsylvania Dental Hygienists Association out-going president. Lisa has held the position for three years and is the longest serving president in the organization’s 93 years. Lisa was also installed as Member-at-Large on the Board of Trustees.

Both Kimberly Beadencup, the director of MCCC’s Dental Hygiene Program, and Lisa were elected to serve as delegates to the national meeting of the American Dental Hygienists’ Association in New Orleans in June 2020.