Article by Melinda Eddleman Click on each photo to open a pop-up box to download a high-resolution JPET and copy and paste the cutline for each provided photo. The demand for dental hygienists is on the rise with employers generally part of the private sector in Texas. According to November 2024 data from the Health Professions Resource Center with the Texas Department of State Health Services, projections indicate that between 2022 and 2036 supply of dental hygienists is expected to grow by nearly 19% to 16,930 professionals in the field with a demand of over 19,640, leading to a shortage of more than 2,710 dental hygienists statewide. Thanks to a grant awarded to the Del Mar College (DMC) Dental Hygiene Program, that workforce shortage is being addressed. On Friday, May 29, DMC hosted the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) during a check presentation event recognizing Jobs & Education for Texans (JET) grant recipients to support career and technical education (CTE) training for South Texas high school students and occupational career training for college-level students. Among the two community colleges and four independent school districts (ISDs) that received oversized checks representing a combined $$1,819,053 were Del Mar College, Victoria College and Freer, Pettus, Sinton and Skidmore-Tynan ISDs (read Office of the Texas Governor release). The Dental Hygiene Program, which is with the college’s  Dental & Imaging Technology Department, received a $306,834 JET grant check to provide training with optimal equipment. The college also partners with three of the four ISDs that received the TWC’s grant, providing collaborative  training to their students in licensed practical and licensed vocational nursing (Freer and Skidmore-Tynan) and in electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians (Sinton). The oversized check awards from the commission were signed and then presented to each school by TWC Chairman and Commissioner Representing Employers Joe Esparza. Additionally, some special guests attended the event, including Office of the Governor South Texas Director Juan Lopez; Community Outreach Director Cindie Gonzalez for Texas Legislative Senator Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa (Senate District 20); MK Walling, Northern District Director for Texas Legislative Senator Adam Hinojosa (Senate District 27); Texas Legislative Representative Todd Hunter (House District 32); TWC Chairman and Commissioner Representing Employers Joe Esparza; and Albert Martinez, Northern District Director for U.S.  Congressman Vicente Gonzalez (House of Representatives, District 34).    DMC’s Dental Hygiene Program has used the funds to purchase new equipment that provides majors with the most contemporary equipment and tools used in current workforce settings. Purchases included 12 each of the following: Ergonomic Dental Chairs – replaced outdated chairs originally purchased in 2006 to improve student performance and reduce risks associated with older high-maintenance equipment, Traditional Radius Delivery Systems – mounted to each dental chair to hold instruments required as part of dental hygiene treatment on patients, Assistant Instrumentation – mounted to each dental chair as set of controls for efficient patient care management, chair adjustments, instrument handling and more while ensuring safety during procedures, A-Dec Monitor Mount – computer mount at each chair for faculty/student monitoring procedures to prevent cross-contamination of biohazardous waste and accidents, and A-Dec 574L LED Dental Light, Central Cabin – overhead light that reduces maintenance costs and enhances patient and student experience,. Additionally, the equipment vendor donated 12 Doctor’s Stools to the Clinical Laboratory used by the DMC Dental Programs, which also includes the Dental Assisting Program. To date, 43 students have been impacted by the purchase with successful use of the equipment as part of their training to become professionals in the dental field. DMC Dental Hygiene students also directly serve the community through several initiatives, including: Mission of Mercy Presentations – second-year majors offer researched-based information to patients about the link between diabetes and oral health, School Outreach Programs – student-led interactive educational session and take-home hygiene kits for CCISD third and fourth graders, and Coastal Bend Wellness Foundation Collaboration – student-developed and led presentations connecting systemic and oral health as part of foundation’s support of Mission of Mercy patients. As part of DMC Dental Hygiene majors’ required hands-on training, the program offers fall and spring semester Dental Hygiene clinics in the Windward Campus facility with FREE services covering sealants, fluoride applications, scaling and root planing, dental imaging and cleanings. These services equate annually to about $500,000 worth of dental hygiene work and prepare DMC students for employment that awaits them. The program graduates 21 students annually. And according to Career Coach platform data for local dental hygienists, new processionals can start around $73,467 per year while the median salary at $91,456. Highly experienced dental hygienists can earn up to about $105,360 per year. Del Mar College’s Dental & Imaging Technology Department offers an Associate in Applied Science degree in Dental Hygiene, along with a Level II Certificate and Associate in Applied Science degree in Dental Assisting.                                                                 Known for its excellence, the college’s Dental Hygiene Program currently maintains a three-year average for the following: 86% Completion Rate 100% State Licensure Examination Pass Rate 90% National Board Examination Pass Rate Details about the Dental Hygiene Program are available online at www.delmar.edu/degrees/dental-hygiene/index.html. Interested future dental hygienists can also contact the department at 36- 698-2858or dit@delmar.edu.     

Article by Melinda Eddleman Working in higher education can be rewarding no matter the position you fill. And at Del Mar College, “passion meets purposes” with employees serving students and the community as part of rewarding careers. On Wednesday, June 3, individuals looking for work  can explore employment opportunities at Del Mar College during a DMC Human Resources Job Fair scheduled from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dress to impress and bring updated copies of your resume to the Retama Room (second floor) at the Harvin Student Center on the college’s Heritage Campus, located at 101 Baldwin Blvd. (78404). For directions and an online campus map, visit www.delmar.edu/becoming-a-viking/discover/tours/locations.html.   Ranging from college-level teaching positions to support staff jobs, DMC currently has nearly 380 employment opportunities available now and beginning with the fall 2026 semester. Individuals can explore job openings by visiting dmcjobs.delmar.edu/postings/search before attending or during the event. Additionally, participants can: Meet with HR staff, recruiters and hiring managers to answer your questions, Receive personalized guidance on how to apply and stand out as a potential employee, Learn about benefits, growth opportunities and workplace culture, and Access on-site application assistance with computer availability. Questions? Inquiries can be directed to the DMC Human Resources Office at 361-698-2178 or dmcjobs@delmar.edu. Individuals can also explore Del Mar College, its campus culture, program offerings and more at www.delmar.edu. Del Mar College … where your career really starts!    

Article by Melinda Eddleman If you have youth constantly asking, “What’s there to do?,” Del Mar College has the solution with a variety of summer youth camps and programming to keep them busy and your patience intact. Between the Music Department’s camps focused on fine tuning young area musicians’ talents and Continuing Education’s variety of age-appropriate camps designed to expand their minds through fun learning activities, there’s something to pique the interests of your youth between the ages of 6 and 18. For more information about each scheduled DMC camp, click each link provided for camp description, cost, time and location and to register and pay online. Questions can be directed to the department/division offering this summer’s camps. MUSIC DEPARTMENT CAMPS:   Del Mar College’s Music Department offers camps that provide young Coastal Bend musicians the opportunity to have fun while honing their talents. Campers gain experience with world-class educators on the college’s Heritage Campus while meeting new friends who share the same musical interests. Summer 2026 camps include: • Viking Classical Guitar Summer Camp (Tuesday-Thursday, June 2-4):  Designed for young guitarists who can read music and are familiar with basic classical guitar techniques.  Details: events.delmar.edu/event/delmar.events.1486745   • Summer Orchestra Program (Thursday evenings June 4 -25): High school-aged string players ––including violin, viola, cello and bass––rehearsing and  playing with the DMC Chamber Orchestra as they prepare for their annual summer concert scheduled 7 p.m. on Friday, June 26. Details: events.delmar.edu/event/delmar.events.1484126   • Viking Band Camp (Monday-Thursday, June 8-11, with June 4 registration/payment deadline): Daily music-making with DMC world-class faculty and area distinguished music educators with camp also including fun activities, such as Viking Moving Day, an ice cream social and dance as well as Band Olympics.  Details: events.delmar.edu/event/delmar.events.1487325    • All-State Choir Camp––Large Schools (Monday-Thursday, June 22-25 with June 7 registration /payment deadline): Designed to prepare choral students for the 2026-2027 Texas Music Educators Association’s auditions with full rehearsals and sectionals as part of an intense, fun-filled summer camp. Details: events.delmar.edu/event/delmar.events.1487598   • All-State Choir Camp––Small Schools (Monday-Thursday, June 29-July 2 with June 7 registration/payment deadline): Designed to prepare choral students for the 2026-2027 Texas Music Educators Association’s auditions with full rehearsals and sectionals as part of an intense, fun-filled summer camp. Details: events.delmar.edu/event/delmar.events.1501706    Contact the DMC Music Office at 361-698-1211 or music@delmar.edu if you have further quartinos about this year’s camps. CONTINUING EDUCATION SUMMER CAMPS:   Del Mar College Continuing Education offers a variety of summer camps––15 in all––that are separated into age-appropriate groups and designed for youth in first through twelfth grade. Each camp provides interactive learning experiences and exploration of potential hobbies or future career paths with activities that elevate campers’ skills while having fun and meeting new friends. Summer 2026 camps include: • Theater Camp: Introduces young performers to the exciting world of acting, storytelling and stage performance.  Details: events.delmar.edu/event/delmar.events.1615636 Grades 1-5: June 8-12 and June 22-26 (two separate camps) Grades 6-8: June 8-12 and July 13-17 (two separate camps) • Electrical Boards Camp: Teaches foundational electronics with campers building working circuits, robots and interactive devices.  Details: events.delmar.edu/event/delmar.events.1633802 Grades 9-12: June 15-18 Grades 6-8: June 29 – July 2 Grades 1-2:  July 13-16 Grades 3-5: July 20-23 • Adventures in Carpentry: Provides hands-on training in woodworking, tool safety and building techniques and designed for all learners.  Details: events.delmar.edu/event/delmar.events.1615760 Grades 9-12: June 15-18 Grades 6-8: June 29 – July 2 Grades 1-2: July 13-16 Grades 3-5: July 20-23 • Code Breakers Camp: Learn to build websites, create app and develop games using coding associated with different platforms.  Details: events.delmar.edu/event/delmar.events.1633650 Grades 1-2: June 15-18 Grades 3-5: June 29-July 2 • Creative Writing Camp: Exploration of storytelling, poetry and personal expression using a variety of writing styles while drawing from young writers’ imagination and giving them voices. Details: events.delmar.edu/event/delmar.events.1633630 Grades 6-8: July 6-10 from 8 a.m. to noon and 1 to 5 p.m. (two separate cams) • Mad Scientist Camp: Hands-on mixing, building, experimenting and exploring that sparks curiosity and excitement about science. Details: events.delmar.edu/event/delmar.events.1633576  Grades 1-5: June 8-12, June 22-26 and July 20-24 (three separate camps) • Once Upon a Camp: Imagination and adventure … activities bring stories to life through creativity, play and exploration. Details: events.delmar.edu/event/delmar.events.1631586 Grades 1-5: June 8-12 and June 22-26 (two separate camps) • Industry Hot Jobs Camp: High school career exploration camp covering needed knowledge, soft and hard skills and necessary training for a variety of high-demand jobs in the Coastal bend’s industry sectors. Details: events.delmar.edu/event/delmar.events.1633746 Grades 9-12:  July 20-24 • Cultured World Experiences Camp: Introduction among young learners to global cultures through immersive, hands-on experiences in art, music, dance, cuisine and storytelling as campers become “world travelers” without leaving home. Details: events.delmar.edu/event/delmar.events.1633570 Grades 1-5: June 22-26 and July 13-17 (two separate camps) • Junior Chef Camp: Introduction of essential kitchen skills, safety and cooking techniques with hands-on preparation of savory dishes in a professional culinary environment. Details: events.delmar.edu/event/delmar.events.1615597 Grades 3-5: July 6-10 • NextGen Chefs Camp:  Culinary experience for high school-aged campers in a commercial kitchen setting focused on foundational skills including safety, food preparation and much more. Details: events.delmar.edu/event/delmar.events.1609929 Grades 9-12: June 8-12, June 22-26, July 6-10 and July 20-24 (four separate camps) • Roblox Makers Camp:  Teaches campers how to build, design and animate 3D worlds using Roblox Studio. Details: events.delmar.edu/event/delmar.events.1633712 Grades 6-8: June 16-18 and June 29-July 2 (two camps) • Career Exploration Camp:  Exploratory introduction for elementary students to the career possibilities they can pursue through role-playing activities and simple challenges that demonstrate what workers do in their jobs. Details: events.delmar.edu/event/delmar.events.1633742 Grades 1-5: July 6-10 • STEM Careers Camp: Introduces youth to exciting careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) with hands-on interactive projects, experiments and team challenges. Details: events.delmar.edu/event/delmar.events.1633702 Grades 1-5: July 13-17 (8 a.m. camp) Grades 5-8: July 13-17 (1 p.m. camp) • Healthcare Career Exploration Camp:  Introduction of various health professions through hands-on skills activities, such as CPR, anatomy lessons and speaker panels with allied health professionals. Details: events.delmar.edu/event/delmar.events.1633478 Grades 6-12: June 8-12 Contact DMC Continuing Education at 361-698-2222 or fdavis8@delmar.edu if you have further questions about this year’s camps.      

Article by: Richard Guerrero, Jr.  For the first time in Del Mar College (DMC) Continuing Education’s history, a collective pinning ceremony was held at the Hilliard Center to bring together 639 Dual Enrollment Health Care students from 13 Coastal Bend high schools on May 14. College officials with the Division of Continuing Education have attended separate pining ceremonies at each participating high school across the region in previous years; however, this year DMC opted to present its first regionwide Continuing Education Health Care Pinning in the center’s arena. DMC Continuing Education offers four Dual Enrollment health care training programs, including Electrocardiography Technician, Phlebotomy Technician, Patient Care Technician and Introductory to Basic Medical Assistant. To date, DMC has formed Dual Enrollment partnerships with 35 high schools in the Coastal Bend. Thursday’s ceremony was limited to 13 schools, so the remaining schools – 63 percent – will host on-site pinning ceremonies as in previous years. For these bright and ambitious go-getters, they celebrated the special feeling of completing the requirements for their certification. In health care, a pinning ceremony signifies a significant transition from academic theory to practical application, and it represents students completing rigorous academic and clinical training, which validates these students’ proficiency in applying critical thinking skills as well as practical skills acquired through hands-on experience. Students receive a pin for each certification that they earn, which positions them for successful pursuits in more advanced DMC programs, such as Pharmacy Technician, Physical Therapist Assistant and Respiratory Therapy, among others offered by the college’s Allied Health Department, and Licensed Vocational Nurse and Registered Nurse Programs overseen by the Nurse Education Department. The largest subset of the certification completers was from the Corpus Christi Independent School District with 514 participants from seven schools, including: Moody High School: 112 Carroll High School: 107 Veterans Memorial High School: 102 Ray High School: 69 King High School: 60 Harold T. Branch Academy: 37 Miller High School: 27 Additionally, other schools near or in Corpus Christi included Calallen High School with 76 participants, the School of Science & Technology with 21, St. John Paul Academy with 10 and Solomon Coles High School with 4. Outlying participating schools with students who received pins included Ben Bolt-Palito Blanco High School with 10 participants and Austwell-Tivoli High School with 4. Rachel Benavides, DMC Dean of Continuing & Community Education, says that the college’s Continuing Education pinning ceremonies for high school healthcare students celebrate their hard work, perseverance and dedication to earn their certification. “Over the years, our pinning event has grown significantly, leading us to transition from multiple individual celebrations to one unified ceremony that honors all schools together,” she notes. “This shared celebration brings our communities together while recognizing and highlighting the outstanding accomplishments of each and every student in our healthcare programs.”