Shaler Area, Hampton Township students earn early acceptance into Pitt's Dental Hygiene School

Congratulations to Shaler Area’s Elyza Wiles and Hampton Township’s Kaitlyn McClellan who earned early acceptance into Pitt’s Dental Hygiene School! 

“I am so excited because I put so much effort into my education and I’m glad all my hard work paid off,” Elyza said. “Pitt has such an amazing program, and I can’t wait to continue my education and be a part of it. When I decided to be a Dental Hygienist, I researched all the schools to find the best program for me. The tour that I had of Pitt was when I knew this was where I was going to put all my effort into getting accepted. Pitt has their own dental clinic and students get to learn through hands-on experience to prepare me for when I graduate and find a job.” 

“I am very excited to have the opportunity to continue my education at Pitt’s Dental Hygiene School, because it is one of the best Dental Schools and only 36 students get accepted into this school each year,” Kaitlyn said. “Pitt’s Dental Hygiene School is the right fit for me because they are smaller class sizes, so if I ever need extra help with understanding something I will have that opportunity.” 

Elyza and Kaitlyn, who are seniors, participate in A.W. Beattie’s Dental Careers program.  

Kaitlyn is in her third year of the program. 

“I have enjoyed learning about the dental field, and it gave me the opportunity to see if I really wanted to make a career out of it before spending a ton of money on college,” Kaitlyn said. “I have learned many new skills within dentistry that will put me a step forward when I attend Pitt’s Dental Hygiene School. I started working in a dental office when I was 16 after my first year at Beattie and now I am also doing co-op now. Beattie has made me grow into who I am and the confidence that I have now in everything I do.” 

Elyza is in her second year of the program. 

“I liked that Beattie gave me the opportunity to learn about the field of dental hygiene before making a commitment to a specific field in college,” Elyza said. “I had an idea of what I wanted to study in college but once I started at Beattie I knew that this was the career choice for me. Beattie has provided me with experience in the dental field so when I start at Pitt I will have a better understanding of what skills I need to be a hygienist. I am also sure that the certifications and experience I earned helped me to get into Pitt.” 

They each credited Dental Careers instructor Mrs. Paula Gibson with fostering a positive learning environment, which has encouraged them to pursue their college and career goals. 

“Mrs. Gibson is like a second mom to all her students and she will do anything to make everyone succeed,” Kaitlyn said. “She has made me go outside of my comfort zone for her to see me succeed and grow.” 

“She is one of the most caring and compassionate teachers I’ve ever had and makes sure that every one of her students succeeds and has a bright future,” Elyza said. “She has encouraged me every step of the way and I’m so glad that I had a chance to be in her class.”