Scholarship recipient Dana Arce
Inna Shames
Dana Arce always knew she wanted to help people. She just wasn’t sure how.
Dana was a 2024 recipient of The Women of Quail Creek’s (TWOQC) AWE (Advancing Women Through Education) Scholarship, a program specifically designed for women over the age of 21 who had previously interrupted their education and were now looking to return to school for additional degrees or certification in pursuit of new career goals. Dana is a perfect example of how it works: In her early 40s when she received the AWE Scholarship in 2024, she will graduate this month as a dental hygienist.
It was indeed a journey. As a child, Dana was drawn to helping others—comforting friends and trying to fix their problems. She knew she wanted to make things better for people but didn’t know what that job might look like, so she graduated from Buena High School in Sierra Vista, Ariz., in 2000 with no clear plans.
Dana did move forward though, and in 2014 received a Certified Dental Assisting Certificate (CDA) from Pima Community College. For seven years, she worked as an assistant in a dental office, helping with procedures and performing administrative tasks.
She knew she wanted more, so she returned to Pima Community College. She learned that although the cost of dental hygiene school was prohibitive, Pima College hosted an annual Scholarship Fair where potential students could learn about various tuition assistance options. There she encountered TWOQC Scholarship Committee members who explained the scholarships and encouraged Dana to apply.
Dana might not have made it through without the scholarship, because receiving it made a huge impact, lifting the burden of worry about tuition. Life was stressful enough: Dental hygiene school was full time, fast paced, and exhausting. And the challenges of combining school, motherhood, and responsibilities of daily life were in themselves taxing. “But I am so glad that I stuck it out, because the reward of graduating feels so great!”
Upon graduation, Dana will become a registered dental hygienist, providing dental care to the community. Her next goal is to attend Northern Arizona University for a bachelor’s degree so she can become a dental hygiene instructor at Pima Community College.
When embarking on an academic journey later in life, self-esteem can be an issue, and overcoming self-doubt a struggle. “If I were giving advice to a woman returning to school later in life, I would say, ‘Believe in yourself, and remember that it is never too late to chase your dreams!’”
Dana Arce is one of many success stories of TWOQC Scholarship recipients over the past years. For more information about TWOQC Scholarships, go to www.womenqc.com/scholarship-information.