Bleckley County student in running to be Georgia tech college student of the year

Growing up, Brooklynn McDowell was ashamed of her smile. 

Her family didn’t have the resources or education for proper dental care. She didn’t have her first dental appointment until she was almost 17 years old. Her teeth were sensitive, leaving her in pain on top of her insecurity. 

“My first experience in a dental chair was traumatic,” she said at the Cochran Rotary Club meeting Tuesday. “I remember that hygienist was very judgmental towards me, and she told me, ‘At your age, there’s no excuse for not brushing or flossing your teeth,’ and I had never felt more belittled in my life.”

Although that first appointment was a negative experience, it’s what began her interest and passion in oral health. Now, she’s a dental hygiene student at Central Georgia Technical College (CGTC) set to graduate this May. 

The program is competitive, so she wasn’t sure she’d be able to make the grades. Evidently, she had nothing to worry about. She made it into the program on her first attempt and became class president. 

McDowell is now being recognized by CGTC for her dedication and excellence as this year’s recipient of the college’s Georgia Occupational Award of Leadership (GOAL).

“I’m fulfilling my dream of being able to show compassionate care to those who so desperately need it,” she said. “Empathy, compassion and kindness are amongst the most important qualities of any hygienist, and I want to break the stigma around dentistry being scary.”

Four students including McDowell were chosen as finalists for the award, and community leaders chose her as the winner. Last month, she competed against seven other schools in the region, and in April, she’ll go on to the state competition to compete for the title of student of the year for the entire technical college system. If she wins that distinction, she’ll be awarded a new car from Kia Motors. The winner also serves as a year-long ambassador for technical education across Georgia.

One of McDowell’s chemistry instructors, Ekaterina Mirzakulova, nominated her for the recognition. 

“I do get emotional when I talk about our school. I love our school,” McDowell said. “It has changed the trajectory of my life, and I love every single one of my instructors and all that they have done for me. So to have this opportunity to go in and represent my school was very exciting.”

Before deciding to continue her studies, she was a pediatric dental assistant after graduating from Bleckley County High School. Post-graduation, her goal is to go back into pediatric dentistry so she can ensure kids get a better experience in the dental chair than she did.

McDowell is also a familiar face in Cochran for a totally different reason. 

“A lot of you already recognize my face from Scott’s (Barbecue),” she told the Rotary Club. “I see you all almost every week!”

A community she recognizes — like her Cochran neighbors at the Rotary Club — isn’t too intimidating, she said, this award nomination experience has been a useful exercise in public speaking.

“As a dental hygienist, part of my job is educating patients,” she said. “This is preparing me not just on a personal level but also into my career as I go to speak out into the community.”

She hopes to one day pursue a master’s in dental hygiene so she can return to CGTC to teach.   

“My college experience at CGTC has taught me that the circumstances of one’s birth are irrelevant,” she said. “It is what you decide to do with the gift of life that determines who you are.”