Lynn James

“The criteria for this award was drawn from my academic and professional experiences. In 1966 I applied for the two year Dental Hygiene Program at the Faculty of Dentistry, University of Toronto. At that time it was the only Dental Hygiene Program in Ontario. Initially rejected due to my poor Grade 13 grades, I was granted a last minute acceptance when another applicant switched programs. On our first day the fifty students in our class were welcomed and congratulated on being Ontario scholars, with grades over 80%. I knew that I did not belong in that group but I also knew that this was my one chance to get a post secondary university education.

I had a small loan/bursary from the Ontario government, minimal support from my parents, and undetected dyslexia, which I later discovered accounted for challenges and poor grades in courses involving numbers or sequences. What I did have, however, was an inherent fear of failure which I channeled into persistence, determination and hard work.I graduated with my Dental Hygiene Diploma in 1968, worked as a dental hygienist in Public Health for 4 years and then returned to the University of Toronto. Words were my friends and I discovered that I had an aptitude for writing, research and teaching. I completed a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree, with dental related courses included in my curriculum.

In 1975 I began my academic career. With varying periods as a professor and /or Coordinator I spent 10 years at George Brown College in Toronto and another 21 years at Fanshawe College. I was active in all levels of our professional associations and participated in accreditation evaluations of dental hygiene programs in other provinces. Dental hygiene was a long and rewarding profession for me. Prior to my retirement in 2006 I decided to give back to future dental hygiene students in a monetary and congratulatory manner."