Originally from Terre Haute, Ind. and graduating with her Bachelor in Science from Indiana State University (ISU), Nicole Adkins ended her fist semester at Lake Land College (LLC) by being voted Student of the Month by the other Dental Hygiene Students.

Adkins helped her fellow students study for their finals by preparing a Dental Instrument Handbook. 

“I shared it with the other girls for, like, a study guide, and then the Instructor made our final off of the study guide,” Adkins explained.

“I think I was just very helpful to everyone, but I love to help everyone,” said Adkins, “I want everyone to succeed as much as I want to succeed.”

Adkins also expressed how it felt to win, “I’m a pretty modest person, so I was kind of happy, but I also felt like it was coming because everyone was pretty excited that I shared my study guide with them.”

She explained how good it felt to be recognized for being “on top of things for a change.”

There is a voting process which is conducted in order to name every month’s student of the month. The students vote for who they believe is deserving of the title. 

Adkins said she based her decisions off of who she felt had been helpful, to her and other students. Also if there was a student who participated in class discussions (like answering questions), or who she remembered interacting with, that would be who she voted for.

After she graduates, Adkins plans on moving back to Terre Haute. “Maybe in the long run I’d like to go back and get my Master’s and possibly teach Dental Hygiene,” she said.

During her time at ISU she was certified as a Dental Assistant. This was when she decided that her 2nd grade dream of being a dentist was slightly off. 

Instead of being a dentist, she wanted to be a Dental Hygienist. According to Adkins, this route is “very financially sound and you have fewer responsibilities than the dentist, but you still have the responsibility of being the clinician.”

Some of Adkins’ favorite parts of the Dental Hygiene program is the group participation.

 “I love that everyone is very helpful, and I love that the Director is easy to contact and ask questions,” Adkins explained, “and I like that we work very closely together as classmates, so we just get more and more comfortable with being around each other.”

Adkins wants future Dental Hygiene students to know that a Student of the Month should “Do unto others as you would want done for you.”

This “Golden Rule” is what Adkins lives by, and tries to treat others as she would want to be treated.