Mathew A. always dreamed of going into healthcare and started a four-year college program straight out of high school. But after working three jobs and struggling to financially support himself while trying to complete college, Mathew switched career paths and joined the U.S. Air Force as an electronic warfare technician.
After five years of service, he ended his military career and found a job working at a water bottle manufacturing company. Though he was thankful for a job, he felt unsatisfied with his career.
“When leaving the military, I felt like I had no skills applicable for the jobs I was interested in,” he said.
Mathew’s wife, who also retired from the military, was applying to Concorde Career College, Dallas’s Dental Hygiene (DH) program and suggested they go through the program together. After visiting the Dallas campus and talking to Concorde faculty, the couple started their program in 2015.
Studying at Concorde
Mathew and his wife loved their time at Concorde and said the program leaders cared about all the students. The school helped as much as it could as the family struggled with finances while completing their courses.
“Being a student was a full-time job, which left our family with no income for a while,” Mathew said. “We had monthly bills to pay, a 45-mile commute and had a child to care for.”
In addition to the financial aid Concorde facilitated with the federal government, Concorde instructors assisted in other ways. For example, they did their best to schedule most of the couple’s clinical shifts at different times. This way, one of the family members could be home with their son and not have to pay as much for childcare.
At Concorde, instructors not only taught through lecture and textbook assignments but also made sure primarily visual learners, like Mathew, understood concepts by demonstrating different techniques. Mathew credits much of his knowledge to his program instructors and has stayed in contact with them years after he and his wife graduated in 2016.
“I still keep in touch with many of my teachers today, especially to discuss my career” Mathew said. “They have molded me and continue to guide me in the direction I want to go.”
Practicing Dental Hygiene
Today Mathew works in Oklahoma at Lawton Indian Hospital for the Indian Health Service (IHS), an organization that provides direct medical and public health services to members of Native American tribes. His wife just received her Oklahoma DH license and has started a bachelor’s program at a local university.
As a registered DH for the IHS, Mathew assists in the dental assessment, cleaning and mitigation of patients from the Kiowa, Apache and Comanche tribal communities. Eventually, he’d like to join the U.S. Public Service Commission Corps, which would allow him to respond to public health crises and national emergencies nationally and overseas.
“I love that I’m in a position to help people,” Mathew said. “My favorite part of the job is interacting with my patients and providing care that so many desperately need.”
Without Concorde he doesn’t think he would have been able to pursue his dream career in a field he loves.
“Concorde gave me the first stepping stone,” he said. “Before Concorde I wasn’t going anywhere and they gave me every opportunity. I wouldn’t have anything without them.”
