Haley Dunphy initially chose Blackhawk because it was close to her home in Evansville. She completed the Dental Assistant certificate at Blackhawk in 2016 and started to look for colleges that had a Dental Hygienist degree program.

But other colleges had waitlists, and she didn’t want to go out of state because of higher tuition costs.

So when Blackhawk announced that it was starting a Dental Hygienist degree this fall, she was thrilled.

“If it was not for Blackhawk starting this program, I can confidently say I don’t know if I would have been able to pursue the career of Dental Hygiene,” she said.

Being a single mom, Haley has struggled with the balance of school, work and home life.  She credits her hard work and persistence with getting her to where she is today.

Haley wants potential Blackhawk students to know that the hard work will pay off in the end and will be worth it.

“I wouldn’t want to do it again, but I’m glad I did it,” she said.

With plans to graduate from the Dental Hygiene program in Spring 2024, Haley plans to continue working and possibly go on to get her bachelor’s degree in Dental Hygiene.