The El Paso Community College (EPCC) Dental Hygiene Program marks its 50th year as a beacon of professional growth and achievement. Elia Mendez, whose enrollment at EPCC half a century ago paved her way into becoming a pivotal figure in dental hygiene education, today serves as its Program Coordinator.
Mendez, an EPCC alumna, initially joined the college in 1975, earning an Associate of Arts in Liberal Arts before moving on to the dental hygiene track. "When I entered the program in 1975, all the academic and dental hygiene courses were taken together," Mendez recalled in an interview with EPCC News, acknowledging the shared pressures of health profession studies. Her time at EPCC wasn't just about textbooks and exams; it also came with a flair of camaraderie and collective endurance among peers.
After garnering experience in various professional settings post-graduation, Mendez's career came full circle as she returned to her alma mater to educate the next wave of dental hygienists. Starting as a teacher in 1982, and following a tenure at Baylor College of Dentistry in Dallas, Mendez made her way back to the EPCC Dental Hygiene Program. By 1995, she had assumed a full-time position, shaping minds and futures ever since.
Mendez's leadership saw the EPCC program evolve, both in enrollment and in practices. Integration of state-of-the-art dental tech and established partnerships with entities like Texas Tech's Dental School are among her key contributions. "Ms. Mendez has been a driving force behind the program's growth and continued accreditation," said Dr. Souraya Hajjar, a Dean at EPCC, while emphasizing Mendez's nurturing yet demanding teaching style, as she described in an EPCC News interview.
Reflecting on her extensive tenure, Mendez expressed gratitude for her journey with EPCC, from being a fresh enrollee to guiding future professionals. "If someone had told me in 1971 that I'd spend fifty years at EPCC, I would have laughed," Mendez told EPCC News with her characteristic humility. Despite the initial disbelief, she now treasures her longstanding connection to EPCC, a place she regards as more than an institution, but a home and a community of indelible bonds and experiences.
