AIDPH believes education and leadership training is essential for all dental professionals and stakeholders. In service of our mission, we’re excited to extend a warm welcome to Shayla Stewart, RDH, BSHS, our new Education and Leadership Specialist!
Shayla will play an important role on our Education and Leadership team as she develops program infrastructure, coordinates education program resources, designs session contact, and serves as a faculty and speaker liaison for educational programming, among other duties. She brings over seventeen years of experience in dental hygiene to the table, along with extensive knowledge in community education, leadership, and organizing.
We hope you’ll be as impressed as we are with her expertise and qualifications as we guide you through her career thus far!
Stewart hadn’t always set out to pursue a career in dental hygiene: she was initially drawn to the field as a means to escape the cycle of poverty, and as a way to meaningfully help her fellow community members. In her work, she found a deep sense of meaning and purpose. Seeing patients from all walks of life, she educated them on preventative care methods and improved their quality of life.
There remains embedded prejudice in the dental profession, but Shayla strived to lead by example, compassion, and by following a trauma-informed approach, acting as a safe space for patients. She explained empathetic, trauma-informed care can take a variety of forms, from turning off lights for patients with sensitivities, to simply adding a preferred pronoun line to intake forms. In taking similar steps, dental professionals can significantly improve the patient experience and ensure they feel comfortable coming back for another appointment.
Beyond working at the practice, Shayla also teaches dental hygiene as an adjunct instructor at the University of Cincinnati – Blue Ash Campus. As she prepares the next generation of dental professionals, she seeks to instill similar values and patient frameworks.
Although she felt fulfilled in her dental hygiene work, Shayla wanted to go further in advocating for disadvantaged populations. She’s been a prolific volunteer, including a recent political affairs internship for The Borgen Project, an organization which strives to eradicate global poverty. At the internship, she raised awareness for the Project’s mission, assisted in fundraising efforts, and contacted legislators to push for international policy grounded in empathy and foresight.
Shayla has additionally gone on to co-lead a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization of her own, JourneyU. The organization, where she serves on the Board of Directors, provides community resources for neurodivergent individuals as they transition into adulthood, Shayla said the organization fills a gap for people with developmental or intellectual disabilities, who are often not equipped with the tools they need to adapt to life post-high school graduation. She looks forward to new developments as JourneyU sets off.
Neurodivergent:
People whose brains work differently than the majority of the population. They may learn, process information, and interact with others differently, and could face greater challenges adapting to a society that wasn’t necessarily made with them in mind.
Shayla is currently pursuing a Masters of Public Administration from Northern Kentucky University. When she’s not working for AIDPH, JourneyU, or teaching students, she enjoys reading and bonding with her husband and three children. You can connect by following her on LinkedIn.
Shayla Stewart, RDH, BSHS
Education and Leadership Specialist
About
Shayla Stewart, RDH, BSHS, currently serves as Education and Leadership Specialist at the American Institute of Dental Public Health and as Adjunct Faculty at University of Cincinnati – Blue Ash Campus. With over seventeen years as a practicing dental hygienist, she continues to advocate for health equity and justice for marginalized communities and strives to be a mentor for others in the dental community. As a current graduate student at Northern Kentucky University, she aims to bring awareness to health disparities, champion progressive research, and bring forth necessary policy change. Shayla also co-founded the nonprofit organization JourneyU, which fosters community, guidance, and fellowship for neurodivergent young people as they transition into adulthood. She completed both undergraduate degrees at Shawnee State University and will graduate in 2025 with a Master of Public Administration.