Becky Wants You to Go to the Dentist

Becky Yang is on a mission. She wants everyone to have access to a dentist and understand the importance of taking care of their teeth. That’s why she went to Sacramento City College and earned an associate degree in Dental Hygiene.

Her hope is to find a job helping her community by offering her newly acquired expertise and find a work family like the circle of friends she counted on at SCC. Community college rescued Becky from heartbreak and gave her the support she needed to pursue her goals. She says her counselors were extremely helpful by encouraging her to persevere, even after two rejections to the dental hygiene program and the unbearable grief of losing her parents during that time.

Becky gives credit to the open-door policy of counselors, where she often went to simply have a good cry. When she was considering college, she knew she didn't want to go far from home. Her parents needed her, and money was certainly an issue. Becky is the oldest of eight children, and she grew up in a home where English is not the primary language and her dad’s earnings were stretched thin. She needed to help them, and she needed extra help at school.

Becky did finally get into the dental hygiene program. Every step of the way, counselors, instructors, staff, and colleagues supported her through all her difficult circumstances. She says she is so grateful for their empathy and their offers of a shoulder to lean on while insisting she not fall behind in school. And now Becky is a role model for her seven younger brothers and sisters. She can stand tall and prove to them that if she can overcome all the obstacles she faced while earning her degree at SCC, they can too. It will be special moments for Becky when her siblings, one by one, walk the stage to receive their degrees.