When Professor Stephanie Bettis walks through the halls of Germanna Community College, it’s more than just the place she works—it’s where her story began.
Now a full-time instructor in both the dental hygiene and dental assisting programs, Professor Bettis is teaching in the very same classrooms and spaces where she once sat as a student, dreaming of her future in healthcare.
“I actually went to dental hygiene school here at Germanna,” she recalls. “I was in the graduating class of 2017.”
Today, Professor Bettis brings that journey full circle—training, mentoring, and uplifting a new generation of future dental professionals, many of whom are getting their start through the community college system just like she did.
Professor Bettis’ passion for the dental hygiene field began early.
That early exposure left a lasting impression.
“My mom laid the foundation in the dental field for me, but I motivated myself to become a teacher,” Professor Bettis says. “I loved educating my patients. When they’d come back and tell me, ‘I’ve been brushing,’ and I could see real change in their health—that was the best part.”
It was that same spark that led Professor Bettis to begin teaching at Germanna, first as a part-time instructor in 2023, and later as full-time faculty. She teaches in both clinical and didactic settings, blending her professional expertise with a deep sense of empathy and purpose.
“I tell my students—you can clean mouths all day long,” she says, “but you’re not just cleaning a mouth—you’re treating a person. That’s something they don’t teach you in textbooks.”
Known for her warm encouragement and hands-on mentorship, Professor Bettis refers to her students as her “butterflies.”
For Professor Bettis, the choice to return to Germanna wasn’t just practical—it was personal. After earning her bachelor’s degree in dental hygiene from Old Dominion University in 2023 and beginning work toward her master’s degree, she knew her heart belonged back at the community college level.
“When I started attending Germanna as a student, I realized how wonderful community college is for people who may not have the chance to go to a university,” she says. “Those students deserve the same quality education.”
And it’s not just Professor Bettis whose life was shaped by the community college system. Her entire family has felt the positive impact of a community college education.
“My mom went to Northern Virginia Community College, and my two brothers just graduated from Germanna—one wants to be a vet, the other a culinary chef,” Professor Bettis shares. “Community colleges have truly served as the backbone to me and my family’s futures.”
As she continues her own journey, Professor Bettis remains focused on what matters most: her students.
At Germanna, Professor Bettis is changing lives by teaching with heart and honoring her past while shaping the future of dental care.