Our 2022 scholarship award winner is Geizel Dayawan. She is beginning her 2nd year at Pima’s dental hygiene program in North Seattle. Geizel is a special person that has overcome a myriad of obstacles to make it this far. She graduated from Pima with a dental assisting certificate in 2007 and started pursuing dental hygiene pre-reqs in 2018. She was admitted to the hygiene program in 2020 only to learn a week later she had to withdraw for personal reasons. This was a major setback and for many it could have ended their pursuit altogether. Geizel took more pre-reqs at several community colleges eventually earning honor society status. She was re-admitted to Pima’s program against long odds and is graduating in Spring 2023.
In Geizel’s own words, “Even though I have faced a lot of trials and tribulations and had more setbacks than I can count, and I may not be where I want to be in life, my perseverance and motivation are getting me to where I need to be. Time has never been on my side; however, I am learning to trust it.”
Congratulations Geizel. You deserved this award, and we know you will be a credit to the hygiene profession for many years to come.
