IVCC celebrates first-ever dental hygiene graduating class

The first eight students to graduate from Illinois Valley Community College’s new dental hygiene program were presented with white lab coats marking their transition to hands-on patient care during a ceremony on Dec. 12.

The ceremony, including recitation of a dental hygiene oath and a pinning presented by family members, marked the conclusion of more than two years of study.

Graduates include: Jenna Andersen, Halie Grace, Kaylee Muntz, Morgan Myre, Rebecca Peura, Paige Sons, Madeline Stiegler and Cassie Williams.

Williams was the student speaker for the evening. Other speakers included Program Coordinator Lyndsey Beetz and Dean of Health Professions Heather Seghi, who gave the keynote, instructor Kora Jones, who recapped the white-coat tradition, and instructor Deanne Vicic who closed the ceremony. Jones, Vicic and instructors Heidi Modaff and Jenna Straughn assisted in the white coat presentation.

IVCC, which accepted its first dental hygiene students in Fall 2024, became one of two community colleges in the state to offer a bridge program between Dental Assisting and Dental Hygiene. The move expanded dental health training in the area and gave local students the opportunity to enhance their skills and marketability by advancing beyond a certificate to multiple degrees.

Enrollment applications for Fall 2026 are being accepted through March 1.

For more information about the program and its requirements, visit https://www.ivcc.edu/programsbyareaofstudy/dentalhygiene.php. To apply to IVCC, visit www.ivcc.edu/apply.