Laura Puleo knew she wanted a change. Being a single mom with a little girl to care for, Laura started exploring career options that might help her provide a better life for her daughter.

“I was actually enrolled in a medical assisting program at another school,” said Laura.

But then Laura checked out the dental assisting program at Porter and Chester Institute. She says that the school tour changed her mind and her plans.

“They were really interested in me,” said Laura. “They helped me see how dental assisting would be a better fit for my personal skillset and my future.”

Through the externship program, she was even able to professionally interact with patients and dental staff. But what Laura liked best about her program were the instructors.

“They were absolutely amazing, so supportive,” said Laura. “The whole staff really cares, even to the point of helping you find a job.”

Laura said she jumped at the first job offer she received –and she got that offer right away.

“I didn’t want to pass up the opportunity to get a job and some experience,” said Laura.

Today, Laura works at Grace Family Dental in Worcester. She assists wherever she’s needed but says she especially likes the front desk work. She also thinks she’s better at it because she understands the full scope of what dentists do and how patients may feel about the whole experience of visiting their dentist.

“Some people are really nervous,” said Laura “and I help calm them down, even walking them to the exam room.”

Laura says that she likes being up front because she gets to interact with everyone.

“Ideally I would like to manage an office,” said Laura.

But that’s only part of her long-term plan. Even before she got dental assisting training from Porter and Chester Institute, Laura had a background in sales. She says that’s one of the reasons that the Porter and Chester advisors suggested the dental assisting program. She said they were looking far into the future for her and thinking about how her sales experience might combine with dental assisting training to offer her opportunities to pursue a variety of careers.

Laura doesn’t know exactly what her future holds. She just knows that Porter and Chester Institute has already been an important part of it.

“You really get out of the program what you put into it,” said Laura “but I would definitely recommend Porter and Chester.”