Angela- MSCIN, BAAS, RDH and Raquel Rico- MEd, RDH
- Philips Heart to Hands Awards
- 6 days ago
- 5 min read
Dear Philips Heart to Hands Selection Committee,
On October 27, 2025, a nomination for the Philips Heart to Hands Award was submitted on our behalf by our Dean of Health Sciences. As a follow-up, we respectfully submit this supplemental information in response to the question: “What makes US (Raquel & Angela) love dental hygiene?”
This submission is meaningful not only to us, but also to our dean, as it reflects our dedication to our community, and strong commitment we have to the students we serve.
First, a little background information: Raquel Rico and Angela Villarreal met more than eighteen years ago at Texas State Technical College (TSTC). TSTC is in the Rio Grande Valley (RGV) and has poverty rates well above the national average. All four counties that make up the RGV are classified as Medically Underserved Areas (MUAs) by the U.S. Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA). An alumna of TSTC’s dental hygiene program, Raquel transitioned from private practice into teaching at TSTC, extending her commitment to community dental health through education. Raquel’s passion for hygiene grew while teaching in the dental hygiene clinic, where she saw firsthand the unmet needs of patients who lacked access to dental care in private practice, and eventually she became the institution’s Dental Hygiene Program Director.
At that time, Angela had already spent seven years teaching in the dental hygiene clinic at TSTC. As a new mother, she made the decision to step away and continue her love for dental hygiene by working part-time in private practice. Over the years, Raquel and Angela remained connected and continued to support the profession through active involvement in the Rio Grande Dental Hygienists’ Society.
Later, Angela served on TSTC’s Dental Hygiene Advisory Committee, marking her return to education as a dental science teacher for high school seniors. Raquel and Angela supported each other as many of Angela’s graduates applied to the dental hygiene program, led by Raquel. This partnership enhanced their shared vision by establishing a clear educational pathway from high school dental science to college-level dental hygiene programs. Approximately three years ago, Angela returned to TSTC to work alongside Raquel as the Director of Alignment for Dental Hygiene Technology.
Reunited as colleagues, Raquel and Angela found a renewed passion for dental hygiene—one centered on service, innovation, and student success. As seasoned dental hygienists living in an underserved medical and dental community, they are united by a shared mission to improve local health outcomes by preparing students with the skills, confidence, and education needed for successful, well-paying careers while serving their community.
Below are “highlights of the moments in 2025 that inspired US”:
January 2025
TSTC adds three D-Storm diode lasers to the dental hygiene clinic, bringing laser therapy into the dental hygiene clinic for the first time. (Click on the link to see our instructor training with LiteTouch USA’s Dr. Ana Arganaraz and sales expert, Scott Rumble.)
TSTC partners with Red Square Dental & Orthodontics through the Smile Transplant Alliance. During this partnership, our year’s “most memorable patient interaction” involved a transplant recipient treated by a dental hygiene student who delivered exceptional care and compassion. The patient later shared that it was the best dental care they had ever received. This moment was especially meaningful for Angela, as the student was a former high school dental science graduate she had taught years earlier—one who overcame significant challenges to successfully complete the dental hygiene program. (Click the link to learn more about this unique opportunity, where students gain hands-on experience treating medically compromised transplant recipient patients while providing no-cost dental care.)
TSTC’s Dental Hygiene program and area dental clinic form partnership to sharpen training for dental hygiene students | MyRGV.com
TSTC signs Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Harlingen Consolidated Independent School District (HCISD). (Click on the link to see the MOU with HCISD to provide authentic dental experiences for local high school students, while giving dental hygiene students an extra hand in the clinic.)
February 2025
Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) officially approves local infiltration anesthesia and soft tissue diode laser as part of TSTC’s Dental Hygiene Curriculum, laser and anesthesia training is made available to all dental hygiene students without adding extra fees or tuition expenses. Note: In 2024, the Texas legislature approved local infiltration anesthesia by a licensed dental hygienist meeting the requirements set forth by the Texas State Board of Dental Examiners.
May 2025
Angela participates in UT Health Houston’s Local Infiltration Anesthesia Certification Course; Angela becomes certified in Local Infiltration Anesthesia and fulfilled the requirements set forth by the Texas State Board of Dental Examiners
August 2025
Raquel participates in UT Health Houston’s Local Infiltration Anesthesia Certification Course; Raquel becomes certified in Local Infiltration Anesthesia and fulfilled the requirements set forth by the Texas State Board of Dental Examiners
September 2025
TSTC formally collaborates with a Head Start facility, Neighbors In Need Of Services, Incorporated (NINOS, Inc.) to provide no-cost preventive dental services to children aged 3-5. This collaborative effort gives preventive dental care to children in need of a dental home, and pediatric patient practice for the dental hygiene students to meet their graduation requirements. (Click on the link for additional details.)
October 2025
Angela attends American Dental Hygienists’ Association (ADHA) Annual Session in Long Beach, California to formally accept a grant to aid in funding the Head Start NINOS, Inc. project. Angela is the sole recipient for this year’s ADHA “Healthy Start for Texas Teeth” community service grant. This grant helped fund the consumable supplies needed to start the project. (Click on the following link to see the 2025 community service grant recipients.)
November 2025
TSTC adds Registered Dental Assistant (RDA) course, the Texas State Board of Dental Examiners (TSBDE) officially approved TSTC’s Dental Hygiene Program as an approved course provider to meet the dental assisting licensing requirements set forth by the state board. This new course is the only hands-on training and certification course south of San Antonio. This opportunity helps to address the shortage of dental assistants in our area by providing certification without traveling out of our geographic region. (Click on the first link to see TSTC on the TSBDE’s list of approved course providers, and the second link to see the advertisement for the RDA program, TSTC will begin their first RDA cohort in January 2026).
And to answer the final question- “What keeps US inspired and excited in our careers”? Raquel and Angela are continuously inspired and excited by seeing the smiles on the patients’ faces treated by our students as they complete their treatment, and seeing our students graduate and begin their career as Registered Dental Hygienists. After all, it will be our graduates that become the future of dental hygiene. Thank you for your time, consideration, and for recognizing the heart behind serving our community and students- this is why Raquel and Angela love hygiene!
With gratitude, Raquel Rico, MEd, RDH Angela Villarreal, MSCIN, BAAS, RDH
