From Lagos to Ann Arbor: Nigerian student reaches her goal of earning a BSDH degree

Blessing Olakanmi’s long and winding path to a dental hygiene degree at the University of Michigan School of Dentistry is about more than just the distance from her native Nigeria. It’s about understanding the importance of a strong education and having the determination to overcome obstacles that stood in the way.

Olakanmi, who graduated in May with a bachelor’s degree in dental hygiene, grew up near Lagos, Nigeria. Her family’s financial constraints meant she and her three siblings sometimes missed classes despite her parents’ determination that their children would get a good education. The uncertainty at times hindered her academic progress.

“My parents strove to send us to private schools, so we could get the best education possible, but it wasn't like they could afford it,” she said. “They were struggling to make it happen. There were times they couldn’t pay the fees. They couldn’t get us the right books or the right clothes to be in classes. And because of that, we’d get sent out of class sometimes. But even then, they made sure we studied at home.”

Though Olakanmi went through graduation ceremonies with her high school class in 2012, the missed schooling meant she had to retake several exams later to finally earn the official diploma. After securing it in 2016, she struggled a bit to figure out what to study next. She had always wanted a career in medicine and was particularly interested in neurosurgery but didn’t have the grades to get into one of those programs.

Searching the Internet one day, she saw information about a dental assisting program in Lagos and decided to enroll. Her father had always insisted his children brush their teeth twice a day, and that emphasis on brushing made her curious about the Blessing Olakanmi importance of dental care. “So I thought, OK, that sounds like something I've always been secretly interested in. Maybe I should give it a try.”

She completed the three-year training program and an internship at a teaching hospital and then worked for a few years in dental assisting and office administration. In the meantime, her father had moved to Michigan, and Olakanmi decided to follow him. She thought dental hygiene might be a good path for her and had discovered from online research that U-M’s program was highly rated. But she knew her education in Nigeria would not be adequate for admission, so she enrolled in a community college near where her father was living in southwest Michigan. When signing up for classes, to make sure she had all the prerequisites needed for U-M’s program, she worked closely with Lisa Dodge, the Dental Hygiene Division’s senior administrative assistant.

“She was so helpful. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be here,” Olakanmi said.

After being accepted and enrolling at the dental school, she found the classes and training to be challenging and rewarding. She especially appreciates the support she has received from faculty and the opportunity for one-to-one meetings with teaching staff, something that was not available in Nigeria. “The professors here try their best to teach us in different ways because we all learn differently,” she said. “The university has resources available everywhere. We just need to find them and utilize them, and that has helped me a lot.”

Olakanmi said she has made lifelong friends at Michigan. “My classmates have been a huge part of my journey. They’ve supported me, and I've supported them. I like that we can reach out to each other even if we’re struggling. This is not a journey you can take by yourself. You need the support of others, and you need to support others, too.”

Patient care has been fulfilling. “As a student, you feel like you're learning, and you might be doing some things wrong. But then when you’re done, and the patient says, ‘You did great, you were kind, you were gentle,’ that just gives me joy. When they say thank-you and they smile, that encourages me.”

As she approached graduation, Olakanmi looked back with pride in herself and gratitude to the dental school for what she has been able to accomplish. “There have been opportunities that I never knew existed. There have been times of lows, but it’s been great overall. Finally, after so many years of high school I can now say I have a degree.” Olakanmi plans to move to Maryland, where her father and one of her siblings now live. She has a job lined up in a private dental practice there. Eventually, she hopes to get a master’s degree in health administration.

Having struggled in Nigeria with her own education, Olakanmi wants to create a smoother path for other young people in that country. To do so, she has already established the Bold Smile Foundation using money she earned from a part-time retail job. The foundation, administered by her mother, helps pay school fees for children under age 18 whose parents can’t afford them. The foundation has assisted 18 children so far, but she hopes it will grow to help many more.

The foundation is one way Olakanmi is working to fulfill her most important goal –to strive for self-improvement and give what she can to others. “I never want to stop growing, and I always want to give,” she said.