El Paso, Texas, November 6, 2025 – 50 years ago, Elia Mendez was admitted to the El Paso Community College (EPCC) Dental Hygiene Program, embarking on a journey that would profoundly shape her professional life. In its infancy, the program found a home at the new Rio Grande campus, also opening its doors in 1975.
Elia Mendez’s story is woven into the very fabric of EPCC’s history. She earned her Associate of Arts in Liberal Arts in 1975 and soon after entered the newly established Dental Hygiene Program. Two years later, in 1977, she graduated as part of one of the earliest classes of EPCC dental hygienists — a program that has since become a model of academic and clinical excellence.
“When I entered the program in 1975, all the academic and dental hygiene courses were taken together,” Mendez recalled. “We shared classrooms with students from other health programs like Medical Laboratory Technology and Respiratory Therapy. It helped us appreciate how all health professions face similar challenges — long hours, anxiety, and a commitment to excellence. We supported each other because we understood each other.”
The environment, she said, was disciplined yet transformative. Students followed strict clinical protocols — changing into pristine uniforms, adhering to rigorous infection-control standards, and even donning the once-infamous white caps. “We hated them,” Mendez laughed, “but the education was excellent. We were fully prepared for the National Board Exam and clinical testing, and we held our own against four-year program graduates across the nation.”
After graduating, Mendez’s professional path took her through private practice, public health, and even a brief stint as a computer operator for SpaceCom. But education, and EPCC, called her back. She began teaching in the Dental Hygiene Program in 1982, later moving to Dallas to teach at Baylor College of Dentistry before returning home to EPCC in 1993 as part-time faculty. Two years later, in 1995, she joined the Dental Hygiene Program full-time, and she’s been there ever since.
Today, Mendez serves as the Program Coordinator, a role she’s held for over 15 years. Under her leadership, the program has expanded enrollment, integrated cutting-edge dental technology, and strengthened partnerships with institutions such as Texas Tech’s Dental School. Her impact has reached generations of students and colleagues alike.
“Ms. Mendez has been a driving force behind the program’s growth and continued accreditation,” Rio Grande campus Dean of Health, Career and Technical Education, Math, and Science Dr. Souraya Hajjar said. “Her leadership has resulted in upgraded equipment and strong community partnerships. Students describe her as nurturing, supportive, and deeply committed to their success. She fosters a learning environment that balances compassion with high expectations, helping students build both confidence and competence as future dental hygienists.”
Reflecting on her career, Mendez is both humbled and proud. “If someone had told me in 1971 that I’d spend fifty years at EPCC, I would have laughed,” she said with a smile. “But now, I can’t imagine my life any other way. This place has given me a home, a career, and a family of colleagues and students who’ve made every challenge worth it.”
Over five decades, she has watched the Rio Grande Campus evolve into a hub of innovation and community engagement, and the Dental Hygiene Program flourish from modest beginnings into a state-of-the-art facility providing exceptional education and patient care.
“It has been a journey filled with joy, love, friendships, and learning,” she said. “I’m proud to have been part of an institution that values education, compassion, and community. And best of all,” she added with a laugh, “no caps or dress uniforms are required in clinic anymore!”
For more information on the EPCC Dental Hygiene Program, please visit: https://www.epcc.edu/Academics/Health/dental-hygiene
Elia Mendez has been at EPCC for 50 years
Elia Mendez, center, with EPCC Dental Hygiene students Brittany Ackerman, left, and Andrea Hernandez
Elia Mendez holds a large model of teeth in the EPCC Dental Hygiene clinic
