Hygienist Returns for Bachelor's Degree at Age 57

Supportive family, dental practice help Beth Al-Heleal reach goal

The term “non-traditional student” recognizes college students who, among other demographics, don’t follow the traditional timeline of earning their degrees shortly after high school.

In May, Beth Al-Heleal was certainly non-traditional –and thrilled – when she walked across the stage at the School of Dentistry commencement to receive her bachelor’s degree in Dental Hygiene at age 57. Beth completed the two-year Degree Completion E-Learning Program offered by the school’s Dental Hygiene Division. She graduated summa cum laude and was inducted into the Nu chapter of Sigma Phi Alpha, the national dental hygiene honors society.

The bachelor’s degree came 36 years after she earned her Associates Degree in Dental Hygiene at Lansing Community College in 1987. In the interim three-plus decades, she had established a solid career as a registered dental hygienist at practices in Ohio and Michigan. For the last 26 of those 36 years, she has worked with Dr. Kimberly Rice, a dentist who practices in Ypsilanti and is an adjunct faculty member at the dental school.

Over the years, Beth had considered additional education, including perhaps a DDS degree, but raising a family took priority. In recent years, as the twists and turns of life played out, Beth found herself raising her six children as a single mom. The household dynamic had changed. Even though most of her children – five daughters and a son – have still lived at home in recent years, they were older now (currently ages 16 to 33) and less dependent on her. She felt the need to break out of her comfort zone and to prove to herself and to others that she could achieve the college degree that had always been secondary to other considerations.

“It was a personal goal to kind of find myself as my own person along this journey of being on my own. Yes, I can do this. Yes, I am smart. Yes, I need to discover myself as a person. Just proving that I could do it and to better my education,” she said. “Had life been different, I probably would have gone to dental school and become a dentist. But I got married and had babies instead. But I always had dental hygiene, which I’ve always loved. It’s my thing. I can’t imagine doing anything else. But I wanted to find out with this program: What’s out there in dental hygiene? I’ve been so secluded in one spot for so many years. I wanted to open up my eyes and see what’s going on in the world.” The study routine was challenging for the two-year program, which is done almost entirely online with intensive reading and writing assignments that must be completed each week. Because Beth continued to work at the Rice practice, her evenings and most of her Saturdays and Sundays were devoted to studying. Her children learned to cope with not always having dinner prepared by their mom and with the laundry sometimes piling up.

“Everyone was just incredibly flexible and worked with me so that I didn’t have to miss work, or if I had a conflict of some kind. It wasn’t easy for my kids, but they knew how much this meant to me. Everyone at the dental practice helped. Dr. Rice was so supportive and adjusted the staff schedule, especially when I had to do my practicum in-person at the dental school for seven weeks near the end. Jennifer Cullen and everyone at the dental school were so accommodating.”

Cullen, the dental hygiene faculty member who directs the e-learning program, said Beth’s story illustrates why the program was created.

“It was designed for practicing dental hygienists to complete their bachelor degree while maintaining their personal and professional responsibilities in their community of choice,” Cullen said. “Beth is a great example of a student who was able to coordinate countless work and family demands with the online design of the academic program. While much of the didactic work is accessed online, the other extensive experiential learning opportunities are highly regarded by graduates of the program. Beth completed her service learning and student teaching experiences just a few miles from her home.”

As Beth continues her role as clinic supervisor for Dr. Rice, she says the classroom and clinic portions of earning the BSDH have strengthened her communication and leadership skills. It also introduced her to research and how to better organize material for sharing with her staff and colleagues. One of the areas she explored as part of the degree was laser therapy. For her capstone project she developed a continuing education manuscript titled, “Laser Assisted Periodontal Therapy: Application and Integration of Diode Lasers into Clinical Practice.” The manuscript was completed with Cullen, who was her faculty advisor, and Nicole Fortune, a nationally recognized hygienist, author and educator. It is currently undergoing review for publication in Dimensions of Dental Hygiene, a peer-reviewed journal for hygienists.

Working on the degree and observing the teaching environment in the dental school clinics also bolstered Beth’s already-strong advocacy for educating patients about oral systemic health – that good oral health is directly related to good overall health. “I already felt like a really important part of my job as a hygienist was motivating patients and now it is even more so,” she said.

Beth’s personal cheering squad at both the dental school graduation and the main university ceremony at Michigan Stadium were her six children, who enthusiastically celebrated her accomplishment. Besides the personal satisfaction Beth achieved, she knew her quest for the degree was sending a signal to her children, who are at various stages of their educational journeys. “This is a big deal,” she said. “It’s a huge accomplishment for me on so many different levels. You’d think I got my PhD. But it goes beyond the education. It’s pretty inspiring for my kids, pretty motivating: ‘Mom did it, we can keep going, too.’ ”