Spotlight on Excellence
ACHIEVING MORE WITH CERTIFICATION Marlyce Godoy says DANB certification helped her achieve her career goals Marlyce Godoy, CDA, RDH, M.S., has her sights set on a long-term career in dental education — having recently become a professor at State University of New York (SUNY) Erie Community College’s dental hygiene program and adjunct professor at the University at Buffalo Educational Opportunity Center’s (UBEOC) dental assisting program. Godoy also has her heart set on maintaining DANB certification, since she credits the certification with helping her achieve these career milestones. “When patients know that you are nationally certified in your profession, they hold you at a higher level of respect and trust, and employers view DANB certificants as especially valuable,” Godoy explains. “It’s important to me to hold on to DANB certification, especially since I hope to one day work as a program director in a dental assisting education program.” Godoy came to the dental field about a decade ago, while exploring career options through the UBEOC. “I knew nothing about dentistry before I stepped into the UBEOC,” Godoy recalls. “I didn’t know what I wanted to go to school for, or what I wanted my career to be. When I took an entrance exam, I scored high in dental assisting and was placed in an introductory course — this immediately sparked an interest in me! I realized working in the dental field is my passion.” Godoy graduated in 2011 with a certificate in dental assisting from the UBEOC, with financial support through a partnership between the UBEOC and Buffalo Employment and Training Center (BETC). After completing a clinical externship and earning DANB Certified Dental Assis-
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Fall/Winter 2020
