Leslina Dangler
Stamford High School 2015
Norwalk Community College 2019
University of Bridgeport 2022
Leslina says she would never have reached her goal of becoming a dental hygienist without the support of Future 5, describing her youth as a perfect storm of every imaginable challenge.
Relying solely on her grandmother to provide family, financial or emotional support while caring for a younger brother, Leslina latched onto Future 5 as the safe haven she never had at home.
Upon becoming a member, Leslina immediately re-structured her life to come to Future 5 every day after school to do homework, learn about the college process and hone her interviewing skills and credits Clif, Beth and other members of the team for shining a light on what had been a dark and lonely path.
In Leslina’s words, “Future 5 made a difference in the course of my life every step of the way.
Clif made a difference…
Beth made a difference…
Ellen made a difference…”
Along the way, Clif connected Leslina to a dental hygienist who inspired her to be persistent in her career journey. But the path didn’t get easier, and Leslina needed to postpone school to support herself and her brother before heading to NCC in 2017 and throughout her time there. She stayed connected to Future 5 for help with course selections and the transfer process to University of Bridgeport and proudly graduated with a degree in Dental Hygiene in 2022, passing her boards a few months later.
Today, Leslina is thrilled to finally be working as a dental hygienist at Pearl Dentistry in Stamford and Trumbull, where she says even the 10-hour days on her feet fly by and she enjoys educating her patients while she works on their dental needs. As another alum who wants to give back to Future 5, she is sharing her experience in the medical community with younger student members who are interested in a similar career.