Stephanie Riehn is a First Year Coordinator at Bluegrass Community and Technical College in the Program of Dental Hygiene that believes we should treat everyone we meet with respect, dignity, and compassion.
Her sisters have been her greatest influence in life. She is one of three girls, and the middle child. “My sisters are amazing women who show love to everyone they encounter, and I strive to be just like them. They are strong, compassionate, and always there for me. “
Stephanie feels her greatest personal accomplishment would be her children, but her greatest professional achievement is that she went back to college while raising her family and completed her doctorate in educational leadership. “As a first-generation college student, my doctorate is my biggest milestone to date. I also moved to Lexington to pursue a full-time teaching position in the program of dental hygiene. I have the blessing of sharing my passion for dentistry with my students every single day.”
The best advice she’s received is to just take a minute and breathe. She says, “We don’t have to have everything figured out today, and it is okay to make mistakes. This is how we improve and learn.
Though she does not consider it as adversity or an obstacle, her youngest child is autistic. “Once she was diagnosed, I made it my mission to give her every opportunity to overcome her obstacles, and to teach her it is not a disability. In the process I learned that I could achieve anything if I just put my mind in the right place. It is not common for girls to be diagnosed with ASD, so I had to fight to get physicians and educators to listen to me when we needed to have her evaluated and diagnosed. I found my fighting spirit through that process.”
On June 19th Stephanie will speak at the American Dental Hygienists’ Association National Conference on how to effectively provide dental care to patients on the spectrum. “My dissertation was on Autism and how well we prepare dental hygienists in accredited programs to treat patients on the spectrum post-graduation. I chose this topic because of the diagnosis of my daughter. This was my way of making a difference, and coping with her diagnosis. I will finally complete the circle of why I chose this area of research.”
Something that most people do not know is that Stephanie was painfully shy as a child and young adult. She adds, “I would never have thought I would be standing in front of a classroom, or planning on speaking on a national stage.”
Stephanie’s best meal would have to be chicken and dumplings made by her husband’s grandmother, or her Gram’s banana pudding. Her best vacation would be Colorado with her friend Ella. The mountains and landscape were simply breathtaking. Stephanie’s best day would have to include several days: each day her children were born, her wedding, and her doctoral graduation. “My Gram was there that day, and I have the sweetest photo of her and I on that day.“
In her free time, Stephanie enjoys lifting weights, sitting on the patio with family, and enjoying a simple glass of wine with friends on occasion. She is currently teaching Pathology and Pharmacology and therefore, is reading everything related to preparing lectures.” I also enjoy The Voice and American Idol when I have time to watch television.”
At the top of Stephanie’s bucket list would be riding in a hot air balloon.
Stephanie can be contacted via
Email: Riehn4@aol.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stephanie.b.riehn
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/stephanie-riehn-ed-d-44483152
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