Kellicia Yap - Patchogue-Medford UFSD

When Kellicia Yap, a senior from Patchogue-Medford UFSD, first toured the Bixhorn Technical Center, she wasn’t quite sure what she wanted to study at the Eastern Long Island Academy of Applied Technology. She visited two very different programs—Art, Design, and Visual Communications and Dental Chairside Assisting. “When I walked into this classroom, I just felt like I belonged here,” Kellicia said. “I just felt like this is where I’m supposed to be.”

From that moment, she was motivated to succeed in the program. She spent her summer brushing up on dental terms and researching the basics of her new practice. Those early studies weren’t always easy. “I wasn’t the greatest at science,” she admitted, “so the biology and chemistry part of the class didn’t come naturally to me. However, I’m willing to work hard for it. I’m motivated to be better.”

After graduation, Kellicia intends to practice Dental Chairside Assisting while going to Suffolk County Community College. She plans to then transfer to Farmingdale State College to study Dental Hygiene.

Click here to read about our Dental Chairside Assisting Program