While working alongside nursing students at the Universidad de las Américas (UDLA) in Quito, Ecuador, Shoreline College student Serena Wilber noticed some differences between nursing practices in Ecuador and the United States. Nurses in Ecuador, for example, often cared for more patients and had less access to advanced medical technology than their American counterparts. Yet despite the contrasts, what stood out were the similarities.
“Although nursing practice can look very different depending on the country and available resources,” said Serena, “the importance of teamwork, adaptability, communication, and compassionate patient-centered care remains universal.”
This past June, Serena was one of several nursing students who gained firsthand experience with global healthcare and nursing education through a Shoreline College study abroad program called Social Determinants of Health in Ecuador.
The program was developed in 2023 with funding from a State Department IDEAS grant (Increase & Diversify Education Abroad for Students), which supported the creation of a short-term, faculty-led study abroad experience addressing a United Nations Sustainable Development goal. This trip focused on the goal of Good Health & Wellbeing.
Designed specifically for nursing students, the program provides an international learning opportunity that fits within their demanding schedule of coursework and clinical training.
“We really tailored the program to be accessible to nursing students and also relevant to their academic and professional goals,” said Colleen Ferguson, Associate Director of Global Learning and Engagement at Shoreline College.
While the program is restricted to nursing students, it is not limited to students at Shoreline College. The program is open to nursing students throughout the region, and, since its launch, participants have included students from Olympic College and the University of Washington Bothell. Organizers hope participation will continue to expand.
“My goal is to make this a statewide opportunity for nursing students,” said Colleen.
The program’s central focus is to understand how social, economic, geographic, and cultural factors influence health outcomes. For this, Ecuador provides a compelling case study.
“The students are going to Ecuador because Ecuador made a conscious decision to change accessibility to healthcare in their country,” said Colleen. “And they were shockingly successful.”
Ecuador’s improvements are indeed impressive. Over the past two decades, they have dramatically improved the effectiveness of their healthcare system, earning international recognition for their progress. In a global ranking of healthcare efficiency, Ecuador moved up from 111th place to 20th in only 14 years.
Students explore this success story from multiple angles. They attend lectures, tour simulation facilities, and spend time learning alongside their Ecuadorian peers at UDLA. Participants also learned about traditional healthcare practices from a local healer; joined a physician on a rural healthcare brigade bringing care to communities without local clinics; and met with patients, families, and staff at a childcare center for children with Down Syndrome.
“I really enjoyed working with toddlers with Down Syndrome and taking part in a discussion with their parents,” said Shoreline student Molly Tibbott. “I could tell how much effort the parents give their children to create a brighter future for them.”
Alongside these experiences, students also visited several cultural and natural points of interest, providing additional context and insight into the unique challenges of delivering healthcare in Ecuador. For many participants, the trip provided a new perspective on their chosen career.
“I have a deeper appreciation for what it means to advocate for the vulnerable populations we work with, the power we have as healthcare professionals in making change for our communities and being creative in addressing the challenges and barriers our patients face in accessing care,” said nursing student Bimmy Kaur.
Given that Ecuador and the United States both face challenges related to economic inequality and disparities between urban and rural healthcare access, the experiences gleaned by participants in this program provide new perspectives, and possibly new solutions, to those challenges here at home.
“The healthcare experience I gained from this trip was eye opening,” said Molly. “To any nursing students considering the trip to Ecuador, I would say to go and see for yourself what there is to be learned from the culture, the history, and the people.”
The Social Determinants of Health in Ecuador program runs every summer, and scholarship are available to offset the cost. Interested students can visit the program webpage to learn more and find out about upcoming information sessions.
On Thursday, June 18, 2026, Shoreline College celebrated a historic milestone as the 20 graduates of its Dental Hygiene program became the first cohort of students to earn bachelor’s degrees from the college.
“I am incredibly proud of our graduates, and their increased participation in community health and interprofessional education with dental and medical students,” said dental hygiene professor Nikki Honey.
Launched in 2024, the Bachelor of Applied Science in Dental Hygiene (BASDH), which built upon the curriculum of the college’s Associate of Applied Science degree, requires students to complete 119 credits of intensive dental hygiene courses following the successful completion of all program prerequisites
Shoreline’s Dental Hygiene program operates in partnership with the University of Washington School of Dentistry. Students earn their degrees through Shoreline College and are taught by Shoreline dental hygiene faculty, but the program is housed on the University of Washington Seattle campus. Speaking at this year’s Dental Hygiene Pinning Ceremony, Andre Ritter, Dean of the UW School of Dentistry, praised the graduates and expressed his hopes for an ongoing partnership.
“It is no surprise to us that Shoreline students are sought after by the School of Dentistry alumni and other dentists in Washington State, by DSO’s [Dental Support Organizations], and by community health centers,” said Mr. Ritter. “The UW School of Dentistry is firmly committed to the Shoreline Dental Hygiene program. We look forward to continuing our collaboration with Shoreline’s faculty and leadership for many years.”
The BASDH program was designed to prepare highly skilled healthcare professionals and to tackle the pressing need for qualified dental hygienists in Washington State, particularly in rural areas where access to dental care is limited.
The shortage of trained dental hygienists has been an ongoing challenge in Washington. According to research published by the University of Washington Center for Health Workforce Studies, dental hygienists have been in high demand for many years, and additional graduates are needed to fill long-term vacancies across the state.
To further address this need, Mr. Ritter discussed his hopes for continued growth of the program. “Ultimately, we hope to expand to 30 students in each class to help remedy the shortage of dental hygienists in Washington State.”
This first cohort of baccalaureate graduates will begin to address that shortage as they, in the words of 2026 graduate Emily Dietzel, “leave with a shared purpose: to preserve the health of our communities and improve the lives of the patients we serve.”
“This is an incredibly important milestone for Shoreline College as we award our first bachelor’s degrees in dental hygiene,” shared Dr. Jack Kahn, president of Shoreline College. “Our partnership with the University of Washington exemplifies our commitment to student success, bringing institutions together to create opportunities that are stronger and more impactful than any one of us could achieve alone. Congratulations to all the graduates and thank you to everyone past and present who helped turn this vision into reality.”
New cohorts begin the BASDH program every summer. The BASDH classes of 2027 and 2028 are both fully enrolled with 20 students each.
We are proud to celebrate the outstanding achievements of our students at the Collegiate DECA International Career Development Conference (ICDC)!
Competing among more than 1,200 of the top business students from around the world, our delegation of 12 students—each a top competitor from the Washington State DECA Conference—represented our college with professionalism, determination, and excellence. Every student competed admirably on the international stage, demonstrating the strength of their preparation and their commitment to excellence in business and leadership.
We are especially excited to recognize our finalists in three highly competitive categories:
Advertising Campaign
Team: Sonia Gunawan, Sienna Gunawan, and Clairren Rusli
Marketing Communications
Team: Yan Clarabel Poon and Jui-Yen (Ris) Hung
Digital Marketing Strategies
Team: Yan Clarabel Poon and Jui-Yen (Ris) Hung
Earning finalist honors at ICDC is a significant accomplishment and reflects countless hours of preparation, creativity, and strategic thinking. These students have not only showcased their talent but have also elevated the reputation of our college on a global level.
Please join us in congratulating all of our competitors for their hard work and success—we are incredibly proud of each of you!
Susan Henderson’s story is one of quiet courage, global adventure, and deep gratitude. A self-described introvert, she never imagined her life would take her across continents, into classrooms, and back to Shoreline.
Susan’s connection to Shoreline and Shoreline Community College runs deep. In the late 1960s, her mother made the decision to pursue a nursing degree at Shoreline to support her two children. Within two years, her mother had earned her credentials and begun a long and impactful career in healthcare, working as a nurse until her retirement and continuing to volunteer at the same hospital into her seventies. “I think Shoreline, and my mom, of course, gave me wings that I’m not sure I knew I had the confidence to use. And then life just kept happening. My life turned out bigger than I thought it would.”
Susan’s own academic journey began with a transformative summer abroad program led by Shoreline Professor Amy Mates, a brilliant and witty English literature instructor from England. “Amy had a wonderful vibrancy about her and a magical way of teaching,” Susan recalled.
That summer trip to Ireland and London changed the trajectory of her life. Among the 20 students was Hiroko, an international student from Japan, who would become a lifelong friend and a key influence in Susan’s life. After a memorable lunch hosted by Professor Mates, Hiroko and Amy sat Susan down and said, “You should be a teacher.” Susan thought that she was too shy but they both said, “You’re meant to do this.” That moment planted the seed.
After getting her bachelor’s degree, Susan moved to Japan and got a job teaching English, thanks to Hiroko’s connections. She quickly discovered a love for education and cultural exchange. “Japan was a gentle, kind place to begin my teaching career,” she said. “I always learned a lot from my students. I was a baby teacher. There was so much I didn’t know. I always hoped they learned half as much from me as I learned from them, about teaching and about life.”
Susan returned to the U.S. after a couple of years to earn her master’s degree in teaching. After graduating, she returned to Japan for another year before spending 26 years teaching ESL, primarily at Edmonds College. Her career was marked by dedication, curiosity, and a deep respect for her students from around the world.
Now retired and living near where Professor Mates once lived, Susan feels a meaningful connection to her past and she continues to volunteer with students.
After attending Shoreline’s 60th Anniversary Open House, Susan felt energized by reconnecting with the campus and the people. Motivated to give back, she established an endowed scholarship in honor of Professor Amy Mates, whose mentorship and belief in her potential planted the seed for a lifelong career in education. “Of all my higher education experiences, Shoreline had the biggest impact on my life. I will be forever grateful.”
Susan’s story is a testament to the power of education, mentorship, and the ripple effect of compassion and encouragement. As she puts it: “Shoreline is the epitome of what a community college should be. For me it was eye-opening, heart-opening and life-changing.”
(Shoreline, Wash., May 30, 2023)– Shoreline Community College (Shoreline)
For Shoreline Community College (SCC), the word community isn’t just part of the College’s name, it’s a passion. Last month on April 29, 2023, three Shoreline automotive students and Amber Avery-Graff, Tenure-Track Automotive Instructor, worked together alongside members of SCC’s Security Team and the Shoreline Police Department at the Catalytic Converter Marketing Event to engrave over 50 catalytic converters for the community. Last summer Shoreline staged the first event which was students only, then expanded in the fall to include SCC faculty and staff. Both were incredibly well received, which led to last month’s event which was open to all interested members within the greater Shoreline community.
Catalytic converters contain precious metals. It takes less than 90 seconds for thieves to roll under a vehicle, cut the pipes on either side, and leave with the converter. “A catalytic converter is typically over one thousand dollars to replace, so that’s a huge expense,” says Avery-Graff. By engraving the last eight digits of a Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) onto the converter, it can be traced back to its original vehicle which makes it much more difficult to sell.
For the event, community members pre-registered and were greeted by Gregory Cranson, Acting Director of Safety and Security at SCC, members of Shoreline’s Security Team, and members of the Shoreline Police Department. From there Shoreline automotive students Trevor Buehler, Christian Mariano, and Felipe Tores along with Avery-Graff worked together to take the cars back to the automotive building and spray paint each converter with bright paint, so that even at night it is obvious to anyone who sees it that the converter has been marked. This process acts as a deterrent to help keep the catalytic converter from being stolen and can also be a way for police to locate victims of this type of theft so they can press charges.
Like a well-oiled machine, Avery-Graff and her students were able to move each car through the process in roughly ten minutes. “Students are in school 4 days a week 8 hours a day, so for students to come in and volunteer their time on a day off is pretty amazing,” says Avery-Graff.
The community response to the event was extremely enthusiastic, with many members already voicing their excitement for the next event, eager to encourage their neighbors and spouses to attend. President of Shoreline Community College, Dr. Jack Kahn had this to say about the event. “Shoreline Community College is extremely pleased to work directly with the city on projects that will benefit our community. Chief Park and her team have been extremely collaborative, and we are so excited that this event had such a positive impact and look forward to many other events with the city.”
Polson Pirates Baseball player Dawson Dumont announced on Jan. 19 that he will head to Washington next year to play college ball. Dumont committed to play for Shoreline Community College just north of Seattle. We look forward to seeing Dumont’s senior year with the Pirates this spring.
Former Shoreline Community College (Shoreline) student Zubeir Abdi was one of the 31 community and technical college students honored by the Washington State Association of Trustees (ACT) Monday night at the annual Transforming Lives awards ceremony, a highly prestigious state system-wide recognition.
(L-R: Trustee Tom lux, Student Zubeir Abdi, Trustee Rebecca Chan)
Scott Geer who has performed in the Jazz Ensemble and has been involved with the drama productions at SCC has been awarded Best Sound & Music at the LGBTQ+ Los Angeles Film Festival for his original composition, “Waltz Noire” which was used in a student-produced short film. We produced, arranged, and recorded the song using student musicians last spring quarter. So happy for Scott Geer and Azure Kwok!
One of our students, Jasmine Contreras-Lewis, has been hired as a full-time reporter at Lynnwood Today. It’s a testament to Jasmine‘s talent and her hard work and ability that has shown on the pages of The Ebbtide, while attending Shoreline Community College!
