Student Spotlight: Joanna Hopson, Dental Hygiene

Dental hygiene major Joanna Hopson genuinely cares about people. Whether it's her family, friends, fellow students, co-workers or patients, Joanna wants to motivate and help them.

But most important to Joanna is her family. A mother of two children, Eden, 6, and Andrew, 1, Joanna has her hands full going to UAA as a full-time student, working three days a week at Northern Lights Dental Care and taking care of her family.

"When I get home, my focus is purely family. I spend time with them because that is most important. Then, I wait until my kids go to bed to do school work," she says.

This family-focused student is currently a senior anxious to graduate with her bachelor's in dental hygiene. She recently received her associate's making her a licensed hygienist in June 2010. "UAA has set me up for life. I'm a licensed hygienist and I do it all for my kids," she says.

Joanna was raised in Barrow, which she says wasn't always the easiest place for her to grow up. "There's not much to do there. We tried to stay active in school, but it was hard."

Joanna had the opportunity to work as a dental assistant after high school, where she worked closely with Dr. Amanda Gaynor Ashley who motivated her to go to college. "She sat me down one-on-one and told me that I need to go to college. She was willing to work with my schedule and laid out the classes I needed to take at the community college in Barrow."

It was dentist Amanda's words of encouragement that inspired Joanna to pursue college. Joanna went to the community college in Barrow, but eventually decided to come to UAA because it was the closest university with a dental hygiene program.

The move from Barrow to Anchorage was a hard adjustment for Joanna at first. "Being from a small town and transitioning to any city is difficult. But I had some family here in Anchorage that made the change easier."

It didn't take long for Joanna to get the swing of things at UAA. She adjusted to Anchorage and UAA smoothly even though each school semester took its toll on her. "UAA has helped me succeed in what I want to do for the rest of my life. Sometimes I'm pushed to the limit with school and work, but I know I'll reap the benefit in the end." She currently has a 3.98 GPA.

Being a mentor to others is one of Joanna's future goals. She wants to help her kids, patients and future students by paying it forward. "I want to pass what I learned from Amanda to others. I want to encourage future students and let them know that it does take hard work, but you can do it if you try."

Joanna's pride is not only due to her own successes, but also from the future successes of others. She revels that her sister is currently in college, that her kids are learning the importance of going to school and that her patients are listening to her advice and improving their dental health. She plans on teaching in the future and knows the importance of practicing what you preach, and how important it is to follow through with your own advice. "If I tell my patients to brush and floss, I better do it too," she says.

What's in the future for Joanna? She hopes to work as an Army civilian hygienist in the U.S. Public Health Commission Corps to provide dental care to under-served communities in the U.S. She also wants to earn a master's in public health. "I want to get my master's eventually. I know I'm not going to be young and spunky for the rest of my life. Earning a master degree will allow me to do multiple things like run a clinic, and teach and educate others on the importance of dental health."

Joanna will graduate this coming May.