TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Monday marked a big day for students across Tucson — not just for University of Arizona Wildcats, but also Pima Community College Aztecs.
Right now, PCC's west campus is going through millions of dollars worth of construction. The goal, being built behind the fences, is to open a state-of-the-art lab, learning center and clinic before the start of 2025 and Spring classes.
For now, dental hygiene program students Lauren Puskavich and Mikaella Lubrano are getting practice in PCC's working clinic, for life in careers after graduation. "There's technique to everything you do, and you'll hear about it if you don't do it right," Puskavich said.
In meeting these students, we asked each of them why they got into the program at PCC.
Lubrano wanted to find a passion after serving in the U.S. Navy. "That's going to make me feel fulfilled in a different way, serving here," she said.
Puskavich said that, in her own way, she's modeling her mom's career as a nutritionist. "Dental hygiene gets to incorporate nutrition, and I get to incorporate clinical skills," she said. "So it's like the perfect fit."
Before the graduate, Lubrano and Puskavich will get to apply the latest lessons with modern technology sinde the new PCC Center of Excellence in Health Professions.
KGUN 9 and Good Morning Tucson got an exclusive look inside the new facility. Faculty leaders said they hope to slowly but surely move in new lab equipment in November. PCC dean of health professions Don Martin said the school's already committed $27 million into this grand plan for the college.
"We're actually planning on competing with the University of Arizona as far as our capabilities in technology and education," Martin said.
There's still plenty of work to do in the 80,000 square feet of remodeled buildings; but soon, one one of the top floors, Puskavich and Lubrano will get to test their skills with 3D programs, virtual environments and the latest life-like simulation cadavers.
"There's been a lot of talk about it," Lubrano said, "so I'm very excited to go and see it when it's finished. This building is going to give us the space that we need."
"We all get to kind of collaborate together now, which is incredible because that's the goal at the end of the day -- to work as one to help a patient," Puskavich said.
Longer term, Martin said PCC knows there will be a need to train more medical and dental professionals, so the school wants to continue to build the physical space for those next classes.
"Our goal is to increase capacity in our programs by 100% within the next five years," Martin said. "On average, we graduate about 1000 students a year out of our healthcare programs — that should take us to about 2000 students a year."
The construction will also be something to navigate as students learn their schedules and routine on campus. Martin and PCC said, for the first week, they will have staff and volunteers ready to point people to the right place."
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José Zozaya is an anchor and reporter for KGUN 9. Before arriving in southern Arizona, José worked in Omaha, Nebraska where he covered issues ranging from local, state and federal elections, to toxic chemical spills, and community programs impacting immigrant families. Share your story ideas and important issues with José by emailing jose.zozaya@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
