For Alison Fox, the path to a career in Dental Hygiene wasn't a direct one. She had completed an associate's degree and had nearly finished a bachelor's degree at Brigham Young University when she settled on dental hygiene.
While home in Flagstaff, AZ for the summer and at a routine dental visit at the same practice she had gone to for her whole life, Fox mentioned her interest to her dental hygienist. "You have to apply in Rangely," she exclaimed, and proceeded to rave about her experience at CNCC.
Accepted as an alternate to the program in 2002, Fox found out she was admitted a week after school started. "I left my job and headed to school two days later without a place to stay or any other arrangements. While driving away from Salt Lake City where I had been living with roommates, I saw the sun setting behind me in the rear view mirror and I knew everything was going to be fine," said Fox.
"From the very beginning of my CNCC experience, Clark Crookston was very welcoming. He let me stay in his home with his family for a couple of days while I found a place to live. The other faculty were very helpful and kind as well," Fox added. "I worked in the bookstore with Loyce Gibbs and enjoyed her tremendously. She gave me one of her new puppies as a graduation present."
Fox remembers Rangely foldly. "I loved the community of Rangely. There were so many people who were welcoming and kind to me. I enjoyed tubing down the White River and boating in the reservoir. One of my favorite Fourth of July firework displays was there in Rangely," Fox recalled. "The college provided so many activities and outdoor experiences in the surrounding areas."
A program like Dental Hygiene requires many hours spent studying and participating in clinical experiences. "Of course my classmates were a big part of my experience while I was in the program. I enjoyed and appreciated them," said Fox. "I ran a marathon a few years ago, turned around and there was one of my classmates. She finished at almost the same time. It brought back all of those good feelings."
After graduation, Fox moved back to Arizona and started work full time for a dentist in Scottsdale in a private practice setting. She also spent some time working for the county in a school-based sealant program before leaving that job for her current position teaching in one of the community colleges in Maricopa County in their dental hygiene program.
While Fox was working with a student in clinic one evening, several skills they had been working on came together in an a-ha moment. "You could see it click in her hands and her mind as it all came together. What a great reward for her diligence. Learning new skills and information changes us and gives us opportunity," said Fox.
That moment reminded her of her own time in dental hygiene school here at CNCC. Fox's first thought was, "I need to give back." She has become a donor to the CNCC Dental Hygiene program and now gives back to the profession in many ways.
Interested in telling your CNCC alumni or donor story? Contact Sue Samaniego, Foundation director and Alumni Relations contact at (970)675-3216 or sue.samaniego@cncc.edu.