This SPC dental hygiene study abroad program in Nassau, Bahamas was a wonderful experience that I will cherish in my heart forever. It was a great privilege to be able to work with the non-profit organization, Great Shape! 1000 Smiles, to treat and educate all of my patients there. Whether they were part of the staff at Sandals Royal Bahamian, His Majesty’s Prison, or the elementary school, my patients were incredibly kind and willing to learn how to achieve oral health. I am so thankful to have been surrounded by hardworking and loving dental healthcare professionals, students, and support volunteers.
This opportunity also allowed me to form beautifully deep relationships with my eight other classmates who accompanied me on this mission trip. Also, Mrs. Krueger and Dr. Gordon deserve all the respect and admiration in the world for partnering with Great Shape! 1000 Smiles for all these years to provide extensive dental hygiene and restorative care to underserved populations.
In addition, my heart was filled and replenished every time a patient would hug me tightly and share words of appreciation and encouragement. I greatly appreciated every moment I spent in the Bahamas, from providing dental hygiene treatment for five of those days to having a resort day, going on excursions and the straw market on two of those days, and traveling on the first and last days. These were the most eventful and hardworking ten days I have ever had, and every minute was memorable. This experience was so humbling and gave me a profound compassion for disadvantaged and neglected communities.
During those five days, all of us 1000 Smiles volunteers were able to impact the lives of over 900 people in the Bahamas. This kind of passionate mission work is what I would love to continue to do, and I cannot wait to work with Great Shape again or a similar non-profit as a Certified Registered Dental Hygienist (CRDH). If you are a dental hygiene student at SPC, I would highly suggest that you apply, because, for the amount of lives that you encounter and can positively affect, this extraordinary opportunity is so worth it and unforgettable.
– Sydney, SPC Bahamas Dental Study Abroad Program, January 2025