Dental assisting students shine at SkillsUSA

During the opening session of the 2026 SkillsUSA National Leadership & Skills Conference, June 1-5, dental assistant Ashton Gonzalez felt inspired and excited — and that was before she won the gold medal.

As she sat in State Farm Arena in Atlanta with her dental assisting classmate, Carly Hoffman; their teacher, Rachel Sprecher; and all the other national competitors from her home state of Pennsylvania, Gonzalez could feel the energy of the 7,000 competitors and thousands of other attendees — educators, partners, volunteers, and more — in the arena. Already state champions, students came from across the country to compete for a national gold medal in a venue the size of 31 football fields.

“The energy was super high,” described Gonzalez, a recent graduate from Lancaster County Career & Technology Center (CTC)-Willow Street in Pennsylvania, who won a gold medal in the college/post-secondary division of the national dental assisting competition, along with Hoffman, who won gold in the high school division. “Everyone sat with people from their state during the opening session. It was so cool to see all the people who traveled so far to be there, and to see how passionate everyone is about their careers.”

Plus, she added, “Being able to be there with my teacher and my classmate was a lot of fun.”

The keynote speaker, two-time IndyCar champion Josef Newgarden, emphasized to student competitors the importance of teamwork in any profession, a message that resonated with Gonzalez.

“There was teamwork between me and Carly, because we were really helping each other along the way,” Gonzalez reflected. “It was nice we didn’t have to feel like competitors at SkillsUSA since we were in different divisions.”

SkillsUSA supports CTE students and teachers

Since 1965, SkillsUSA has served students preparing for careers in trade, technical, and skilled service occupations. As a top workforce-development organization for students, SkillsUSA represents more than 444,000 career and technical education (CTE) students and educators.

Participating in the SkillsUSA national dental assisting competition was “such a cool experience,” said Gonzalez. She credits her teacher for introducing her to SkillsUSA, and she was grateful for the support of everyone at the conference. “I never knew anything about SkillsUSA before I attended dental assisting school. I probably wouldn’t have done it without Ms. Sprecher’s encouragement, and I’m glad that I competed,” Gonzalez said.

Hoffman also appreciates the guidance of their teacher. “I received amazing support from Ms. Sprecher,” Hoffman elaborated. “She taught me everything I know in a way that was easy to comprehend. She is such a great teacher. I definitely could not have done it [competed at SkillsUSA] without her.”

During the 2026 national championships, qualifying students sought recognition from SkillsUSA in 115 career and leadership competitions, including in occupational areas such as dental assisting, automotive service technology, carpentry, culinary arts, welding, and more. Almost 20 future dental assistants were among those competing at the expansive Georgia World Congress Center.

“The venue was filled with activity, enthusiasm, and pride,” observed Michelle Lee, Dental Assisting National Board (DANB) Vice President of External Relations and Policy, who represented DANB and the DALE Foundation as proud partner sponsors of this year’s event. “It was clear that students, instructors, and volunteers recognized the significance of the opportunity.”

As partner sponsors, the organizations provided medalist and travel grants to competitors and judges, plus complimentary access to DANB exams for all national dental assisting competitors.

“It was an honor to represent DANB and engage with the students, educators, judges, and SkillsUSA staff who make this event possible,” said Lee. “DANB was proud to be the first organization to provide financial support specifically for the dental assisting competition.”

Dental assisting medalists recognized at SkillsUSA

To qualify for the championships, high school and college students progressed from district to state to national competition. For the national-level dental assisting competition, there were two rounds: a test-taking round on June 2, then for those who advanced to competition on June 4, scored hands-on events in 12 skill areas to determine the winners. Skill areas included chairside assisting, infection control, patient care and education, and radiography.

Of 19 dental assisting competitors at nationals, there were six medalists:

High School Division

• Gold medal: Carly Hoffman, Lancaster County Career & Tech Center, Willow Street, Pennsylvania
• Silver medal: Ashley Santos, Greater Lawrence Technical High School, Massachusetts
• Bronze medal: Awa Jallow, Dubiski Career High School, Texas

College/Post-Secondary Division

• Gold medal: Ashton Gonzalez, Lancaster County Career & Tech Center, Willow Street, Pennsylvania
• Silver medal: Amelia Shuping, Guilford Tech Community College, North Carolina
• Bronze medal: Alexis Ramirez, Wiregrass Georgia Tech College, Georgia

Gonzalez said it felt surreal to learn that both she and her classmate won gold medals during the event’s highly anticipated awards ceremony on June 5. “There were so many people there. Everyone was cheering. I’ve never experienced anything like that.”

Hoffman agreed it felt unreal to win a gold medal at the national level. “I was actually so shocked by the results, but also so happy.”

While she felt nervous for all levels of the competition, for nationals, Gonzalez tried to focus on enjoying and taking in the entire experience. “I thought, ‘it’s already such an accomplishment to be here,’ so I was trying to have confidence and, win or lose, just have fun. It was amazing and such an honor to be there.”

A rewarding experience for judges

For Dena Szabo, CDA, RDA, attending SkillsUSA as a judge was a full-circle moment. In 2014, she competed in St. Louis and took home a gold in dental assisting. “Having walked the same path as these talented competitors, I understood the thrill and the anticipation they felt,” she said.

Janet McNeal, CDA, CDPMA, health science teacher at Irving Independent School District in Texas, judged the events in hand-washing and donning and doffing personal protective equipment. Throughout the day, McNeal noticed dental assisting students from across the nation uplifting one another, creating a bond and exhibiting a spirit of teamwork.

“They grew into friends, trying to help each other out so they wouldn’t be so nervous,” McNeal said. “You would hear them quizzing each other or asking, ‘how did your event go?’”

Dottie Wittman Tarango, CDA, dental science program instructor at Western Maricopa Education Center in Arizona, judged the radiography event. When asked what she enjoyed most about being a judge, she said, “Seeing the students try their best and being able to present that professionally. And they were able to compose themselves.

“I can’t even imagine how nerve-wracking it must be to go on a national competition,” she added.

What stood out to Wittman Tarango was the professionalism and respectfulness that dental assisting competitors showed everyone, including the judges and one another. “The way they carried themselves throughout the competition really impressed me,” she said.

Szabo, a dental office manager at Emerald Dental in Tennessee, judged the event for providing oral healthcare instructions to patients. “I enjoy SkillsUSA so much,” she said. “I 100% support SkillsUSA. I don’t think people realize how big and important it is.”

SkillsUSA advances careers and in-demand professions

SkillsUSA has an essential role in elevating students’ careers, as well as advancing their fields of study and work, especially in-demand occupational areas like dental assisting. “The whole organization is just so cool, and I love what they’re doing, helping students really do the best in their field,” Gonzalez said.

McNeal believes that events like the SkillsUSA Championships bring needed visibility to the dental assisting profession, as well as foster a community for future dental assistants and their teachers.

“Everybody knows the same the vocabulary of dental terms, so everybody knows what you’re talking about,” she said. “If you say amalgam somewhere else, someone might say, ‘What is that? Can you repeat that?’ It makes you feel good that everyone understands you, and you understand them.”

Ultimately, SkillsUSA provides camaraderie and excitement that fuels the next generation of dental assistants.

“SkillsUSA shows that other people are in dentistry like you are,” McNeal said. “When you have people surrounding you who have the same interests as you in dentistry, it makes you feel good. You feel like a family together.”

As a nationally recognized SkillsUSA medalist, and a recent graduate of both Elizabethtown Area High School and CTC, Hoffman has considered a future career in dental hygiene.

Similarly, Gonzalez now looks forward to building her career in her new dental assisting role. She believes that in addition to her education, competing at SkillsUSA was a strong addition to her resume.

“I would like to thank DANB for their generosity, and I’m also so grateful for SkillsUSA and schools like CTC that allow students to use their hands-on gifts and abilities that God gives each and every one of us,” Gonzalez said. “I love helping people and working on a team.”