As one of the first Froedtert scholarship recipients to graduate, Ana Paulina Cardenas is loving her new career as a dental hygienist
On a partly cloudy, chilly day in early February, Ana Paulina Cardenas arrived at the Dental Associates office on Miller Park Way, ready to work. She had been at the West Milwaukee dental practice for more than 20 years, serving first as a receptionist and then as a certified dental assistant.
But on this day she arrived with a new credential: She was a full-fledged, board-certified, state-licensed dental hygienist ready to see her first patient. “I couldn’t believe that I was already doing this,” said Cardenas, who earned an associate degree from MATC in December 2023. “I’m not going to lie; I was a little nervous. But I loved every minute of it. I actually enjoyed it even more than I thought I would.”
For Cardenas, who came to the United States from Mexico as a child, her educational journey was challenging. She attended classes at the college while she worked, completed assignments at night and on weekends and raised her three children. Paying for tuition, books and equipment fees stretched the household budget. “It could be quite difficult at times,” she said. “But my husband of 22 years was a huge help and I couldn’t have done it without him. Many nights I did my homework together with my kids. My sisters and my brother were also there when I needed them. They were all part of my support system.”
She received some much-needed financial assistance from the Froedtert Memorial Hospital Scholarship program, established in June 2021 when Froedtert Health gave $6 million to the MATC Foundation to help students pursuing healthcare careers, such as nursing, dental hygiene, surgical technology, medical assistant and pharmacy technician. The Froedtert scholarships cover tuition, required books and supplies, and licensure exam fees. They also include a stipend and access to emergency grant funding. MATC awarded Froedtert scholarships to 48 students in the fall of 2023. Cardenas was among four students who completed their studies and graduated right away in December 2023, said Vee Tillotson, an MATC graduate project assistant who works with the Froedtert scholarship recipients. “This scholarship was a huge blessing,” Cardenas said. “When it came, it was such a relief. There was equipment I needed to get and exams I had to register for. With the scholarship, I didn’t have to worry about how we were going to handle all that with our finances. It made so much difference.”
Ready for more
“But, as often happens, life got in the way,” she said.
Cardenas got married, took a job, and eventually had her son, Fernando, and daughters, Carolina and Jimena. At Dental Associates, she worked in various positions but thought she could do more. She decided on dental hygiene.
“The office staff was supportive and always motivated me,” she said. “I felt like I was gaining a lot of knowledge in the field. I wanted to help people, and I feel it’s very rewarding.”
Eager to learn
She started taking science courses at MATC and was admitted into the Dental Hygiene program in 2021. During her studies, she learned how to clean teeth, administer fluoride treatments, process X-rays, and provide dental counseling. Her three children helped by serving as patients.
Program instructor Cynthia Nienhuis remembered Cardenas as a diligent, attentive student who received high marks from her patients and always assisted her classmates when needed.
“Ana showed up every day eager to learn, focused on doing her best, with a caring attitude and professional demeanor,” Nienhuis said. “As a bilingual speaker, she was called upon to translate for others in the clinic, and she did so without hesitation.”
“I could recognize her passion in not only being an outstanding student but also her drive to achieve her dream of becoming a professional,” said Tonia Morley, chair of MATC’s dental programs and a Dental Hygiene instructor. “Ana’s family is extremely important to her. She knew this path would help her family to be more successful. Ana is a team player and provides top-notch care for each of her patients. She has excellent communication skills, empathy, and was able to adapt to the variety of situations required as a Dental Hygiene student.”
“My instructors at MATC were amazing,” Cardenas said. “Whenever I had questions or concerns, I reached out, and they were there. They showed us it was OK to make mistakes in the classroom so we could learn and not make mistakes on the job. That made me feel better about what I was doing and made my experience so much better.”
Cardenas received the Froedtert scholarship in her final semester, which helped pay for her board certification and state exams to earn her license. At the beginning of February, she started her new position.
Being a native Spanish speaker, Cardenas is excited to help the Hispanic/Latino/a patients who come to the clinic.
“I’m very proud of being bilingual and that I can educate and communicate with the people in my community,” she said. “Dental hygiene, proper brushing, and flossing are so important and can affect so much in maintaining a healthy lifestyle, especially in patients who might be managing diabetes or high blood pressure.”
Looking ahead, Cardenas is thinking about earning a bachelor’s degree and perhaps even a master’s degree. She’s taking a year off from school to relax a little, pay off some debts, and settle into her new job.
“It’s all about getting into the flow of seeing patients,” she said. “I’m working to get used to that right now. I don’t know if my first patient knew they were my first patient, but I marked it down in their chart.”
Learn more about the Dental Hygiene program at matc.edu.