Olga M. Gutierrez, Associate Professor of Dental Hygiene
Olga M. Gutierrez was born and raised in the Yakima Valley. Her family immigrated from Guanajuato, Mexico, and worked as farmworkers in the Lower Valley. In high school, she was introduced to dentistry through attending YV Tech’s Dental Assisting Program. Unfortunately, she was unable to complete that program because her family moved to the west side of Washington to work in the berry fields.
When her family returned to the Yakima Valley, Gutierrez attended and participated in Yakima Valley College’s (YVC) Upward Bound Program. Developed to help students from low-income and first-generation backgrounds, the program gave her the experience of college life, and an opportunity to earn high school credits in math, English, and science, while providing resources for financial assistance for college. As a first-generation college-bound student, this guidance forever changed Gutierrez’s life.
Not long after high school, at the age of 19, Olga became a single mother and decided to put her plans for college on hold. Several times, she tried to return to school and pick up where she left off but was challenged with the hardships of balancing parenthood and being a full-time student. At the age of 21, she met her future husband, got married, and had another child. Through their adversities, she and her husband decided the only way to move forward was for them to sacrifice a bit more to move ahead. Together, they agreed that she would return to school full-time and he would carry the financial weight of maintaining their family of four. This sacrifice allowed her to pursue her degree in Dental Hygiene.
After three years of being a full-time student, she completed her prerequisites, applied to the Dental Hygiene Program at YVC, and was accepted. In 2006, she became a registered dental hygienist, going on to work in private practice for 13 years.
In 2019, a teaching opportunity presented itself, and Gutierrez returned to YVC’s Dental Hygiene Program as an adjunct instructor while obtaining her bachelor’s degree in dental hygiene. This new experience brought her back to the challenges she faced as a college student and made her want to become more involved in the educational system.
Gutierrez knew that, for her to become a full-time educator, she would need to continue her education. In 2021, through Western Governors University, she completed her master’s degree in education, more specifically, Instructional Design. Not long after receiving this credential, she became the dental hygiene program’s lead instructor for Restorative and Radiology in 2023.
“I am so grateful to the universe for placing this opportunity in my path,” said Gutierrez. “I have found a love for teaching and wanting to be that guiding hand for those who have struggled in life and are still working hard to fulfill their aspirations.”
As an Associate Professor of Dental Hygiene at PNWU, Gutierrez strives to help students believe in themselves; in ways she wished others would have done for her.
“I want to represent hope, regardless of where people’s families come from,” she said. If she could leave our students with one thing, it would be this: “I know how your educational journey ends, you just need to believe it too, and make it happen.”
