Jennifer Probst, Dental Assisting teacher at WEMOCO, has been named New York State Career and Technical Education (CTE) 2021 New Teacher of the Year by the New York State Association for Career and Technical Education (NYSACTE)!
NYSACTE administers the ACTE Excellence Awards. State award winners in these categories are eligible to move forward for Region I consideration. Recipients of the Excellence Awards are described by NYSACTE as "exceptional individuals who have contributed to the success of CTE through the quality of their work and their involvement in the CTE community."
Probst has been teaching Dental Assisting at WEMOCO since September 2016.
Over the past four years, Probst has expanded the Dental Assisting program at WEMOCO from a one-year course to a two-year course, where students receive more than 200 hours of workbased learning opportunities in the community. She works diligently with industry partners in her community to grow the Dental Assisting program and advisory board. Probst has added more than 29 dental industry partners including dental labs and dental offices.
Probst is a Registered Dental Hygienist in New York. She achieved Fellowship with the Academy of Laser Denistry's Laser Safety Committee, and has more than 20 years of experience in dental practice and has been an office manager, dental assistant and hygienist.
Prior to Probst's teaching at WEMOCO, she was lead dental hygienist in a private practice where she implemented the use of dental lasers in the office and trained the hygienists and doctor.
She is also a member of the American Orthodontic Society, as well as a professional member of SkillsUSA and HOSA-Future Health Professionals (formerly known as Health Occupations Students of America). She chaired the SkillsUSA Dental Assisting competition for two years, and has sent dental assisting students to both state and national competition for the past three years.
Probst will be formally recognized at the Professional Organization Seminar in Albany on Aug. 11, 2021.
Photo caption: Jennifer Probst, Dental Assisting teacher at the Career and Technical Education Center at WEMOCO and recently named NYS CTE New Teacher of the Year for 2021.