Concorde Career Colleges and PDS Health Foundation announced that the Dr. Carolyn Ghazal Dental Assistant Scholarship program has provided $1 million in tuition assistance to Concorde students over the past 10 years. The organizations said the milestone is part of a relationship focused on dental assistant education, workforce preparation and career opportunities.
According to an announcement, the scholarship program has supported Concorde students through tuition assistance while the broader relationship has included mentorship, hands-on learning experiences, externships and workforce development.
“We are grateful to the PDS Health Foundation for their ongoing investment in our students. The ripple effect of this $1 million milestone reaches beyond our students and their families to the thousands of patients in local communities they will collectively see over the course of their careers,” said Kevin Prehn, president of Concorde Career Colleges. “The phenomenal employer-educator partnerships like those we have with PDS Health and the PDS Health Foundation support Concorde’s strong outcomes, including graduation, job placement and licensure pass rates. I’m excited for what we will accomplish together over the next decade.”
Since 2016, the PDS Health Foundation’s Dr. Carolyn Ghazal Dental Assistant Scholarship program has invested more than $2 million in dental assistant education through tuition assistance, mentorship and hands-on training with more than 120 schools nationwide, according to the announcement.
“The primary barrier for dental assistant students to complete their education and enter the field is financial,” said Carli Casey, executive director of the PDS Health Foundation. “When we remove that barrier, students are given the time, space and opportunity to focus on becoming their best selves as they move into the next step of their careers. Reaching this milestone with Concorde reflects what can happen when organizations are truly aligned in supporting students and helping them succeed.”
Concorde’s relationship with PDS Health spans more than 20 years. According to the announcement, it began with externship opportunities in California and developed into a collaboration involving student mentorship, hands-on learning experiences, workforce development and scholarship opportunities.
Over the past three years, PDS Health has supported an average of 109 Concorde students annually through externships, according to the announcement. Approximately 60% of students who completed an externship at a PDS Health-supported practice were hired after program completion.
“Concorde students who complete externships in PDS Health practices have an edge because they have a strong foundation of clinical knowledge provided by Concorde faculty,” said Rosalinda Olague, director of school relations and dental assistant programs at PDS Health. “Our clinicians then help students build on that foundation through hands-on experience, patient interactions, proven technologies, and a collaborative environment focused on clinical excellence.”
The announcement also highlighted Ralph Villacorta, a Concorde-San Antonio graduate who received a Dr. Carolyn Ghazal Dental Assistant Scholarship in 2020 and currently works as specialty lead dental assistant for PDS Health’s Austin-San Antonio Region. “Receiving the Dr. Carolyn Ghazal Dental Assistant Scholarship changed everything for me, both financially and emotionally. It was motivating because out of all the applicants, I was one of the few students who were selected to be scholars. It made me feel like I was doing great and was right where I was supposed to be,” Villacorta said.
Following graduation, Villacorta joined PDS Health as a traveling orthodontic dental assistant and later participated in one of PDS Health’s humanitarian trips to Guatemala while continuing his professional development.
“Concorde helped prepare me to enter the profession with confidence, and PDS Health continued to invest in my growth,” Villacorta said. “Today, serving as a specialty lead dental assistant is something I’m incredibly proud of because it allows me to support patients while continuing to grow in my career.”
Concorde Career Colleges is the healthcare division of Universal Technical Institute, Inc. and prepares students for careers in nursing, dental, respiratory, diagnostic and allied health fields. Concorde operates 18 campuses across eight states and online under the Concorde Career College and Concorde Career Institute brands. PDS Health Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization with programs in special needs dentistry, dental assistant scholarships and international service trips. PDS Health supports dental, dental specialty and medical providers across the United States.
