Dental School Faculty Speaking at Inner City High Schools

Ann Arbor, MI — May 5, 2011 — “We’re planting seeds early, when they are freshmen and sophomores in high school, to get students thinking that going to college is something they can do, that it’s not an impossible dream,” said Dr. Marita Inglehart, associate professor of dentistry, as she talked about her visits to several Michigan high schools as part of a new University of Michigan program that encourages adolescents to consider and ultimately pursue higher education.  If early responses are any indication, some students have expressed a desire to become oral health professionals.

The program, Wolverine Express, features U-M faculty, staff, and students traveling to Saginaw, Jackson, Pontiac, Battle Creek, Benton Harbor, Muskegon, and Grand Rapids who talk to students from disadvantaged backgrounds about the benefits of higher education.  Launched last fall by U-M’s Center for Educational Outreach, participants in Wolverine Express work with high school principals, counselors, and teachers encouraging them to emphasize to students what they need to do in high school to prepare for college.

Dr. Kenneth May, associate professor of dentistry, and other participants in Wolverine Express, say many of the students they have talked to are often the first in their families to even consider going to college.  “I talk about my background, growing up in rural Arkansas, and tell them, ‘Going to a college or university is doable and there are resources to help you’,” said May, who is also director of the School’s Office of Multicultural Affairs and Recruitment Initiatives.

“An Investment in Themselves”

When the cost of attending a college or university comes up, May said he frames his response in a way most students have not considered.

“I ask them, if they had the money, what kind of new automobile would they buy?  After giving me their answers, I tell them that the new car loses value the moment it’s driven off the lot,” May said.  “But I emphasize that if they attend a college or university and earn a degree, they will be making an investment in themselves, and that education is something no one will ever take away from them.”

Inglehart agreed, adding that she shows students a chart that lists the earnings potential of college graduates compared to those who finish high school and those who drop out.  She then describes in detail what they need to do in high school to prepare for college.  “That includes studying hard to get good grades especially in science, math, grammar and composition; doing well on ACT and SAT tests; participating in extracurricular activities; volunteering in the community; and looking for opportunities to make themselves more competitive,” she said.

Kimberly Johnson, program coordinator of the School of Dentistry’s Health Careers Opportunity Program, said many students warm up to the idea of pursuing postsecondary education after she asks them to participate in a quiz.  “I give them a list of famous people from all walks of life – politics, sports, entertainment – and ask them to match the names of the people with the college or university they attended,” she said.  “When I tell them the results, I think that inspires some of them to seriously consider going to college.”

Juana Gissendanner, a 1988 graduate of the School’s dental hygiene program, was another U-M participant in the program who traveled to Pontiac High School earlier this year.  “Participating with others from U-M was a natural extension of what I have been doing as a recruiter for the School of Dentistry since 2000,” she said.  Gissendanner frequently speaks to junior high and high school students in Michigan about the benefits of higher education and urging them to consider a career in oral health.  “Doing that gives me an opportunity to emphasize the courses they need to take so that their dream can become a reality,” she added.

In some instances, Gissendanner, who has been an adjunct clinical lecturer at the School since 2002, said students know a family member who is a practicing dentist, “but are unaware there are other opportunities in the oral health care profession, such as becoming a dental hygienist or a lab technician.  For some, that’s an eye opener.”

Some Interested in Oral Health Care

Are the visits making a difference?  Inglehart thinks so.  “When I was in Jackson, one student told me that she wanted to become an orthodontist, has shadowed her family dentist, and is already working hard to gain admission to a good college.”  Another student, she said, was considering becoming a dentist. 

Dr. William Collins, executive director of the Center for Educational Outreach, said he has been impressed with the dedication of school superintendents, principals, teachers, and counselors from across Michigan who are emphasizing the importance of postsecondary education.  “I have also been pleased to learn how eager schools are to partner with the University of Michigan in order to strengthen the pipeline between schools and colleges.”