Angelique always wanted to work in the healthcare industry to help people. Before learning about JVS, she provided end-of-life care for elderly patients but found the emotional toll of the work overwhelming. When she learned about the JVS Foundations in Dental Assisting program, she decided to give the new career path a try.  

After completing the dental assisting program, Angelique started as a Dental Assistant at the La Clinical Dental at Children’s Hospital, which provided a fast-paced training ground for her first dental role. From there, she went on to accept a position at Alameda Pediatric Dentistry, where she quickly excelled and received an employee spotlight award just three months after starting. 

While Angelique was getting started in her career as a dental assistant, her employer and her JVS coach  encouraged her to continue to develop her career by learning new skills in the office and enrolling in additional training. In 2023, she decided to pursue her Registered Dental Assistant certification with JVS, and she plans to eventually go to dental hygiene school and continue building her career in dentistry. 

“If you’re on the fence about applying, JVS is a really good place to be,” Angelique shared. “They help you with any struggles that you have. They will help you push through it and work through it every step of the way. You’re not doing it alone.” 

Angelique now enjoys the benefits of a stable job with regular hours, and she enjoys being in the healthcare industry in a different capacity than she was before. 

“I love helping people. This is another way of me helping someone without being there all the time and seeing them at their worst,” Angelique shared. “Now I just see him at their best.” 

Angelique’s story first appeared in our 2023 Impact Report. Go to impact2023.jvs.org to read the report and learn more about our work.