Julie Ferguson balances life as a dental hygienist with a healthy commitment to her family and community service.
The 2016 Perimeter College graduate turned to healthcare after first working as a performing artist in New York, then later as a principal singer and dancer aboard Norwegian Cruise Lines.
“I was very tan and very thin—it was fun,” Ferguson recalled. “But, I wanted to have a steady job where I made decent money and I wanted to have a family.”
Ferguson eventually headed back home to Georgia where she married her high school sweetheart and had two kids before studying dental hygiene.
“Perimeter had a really good reputation, and I wanted to go to the best school,” she said of her decision to attend Perimeter College.
As a student, Ferguson was the community service chair for Perimeter’s dental hygiene outreach and training programs, which provided free dental care for low-income and indigent patients. She recently coordinated 10 hygienists and dentists to provide services during a health fair sponsored by her church at the Atlanta Mission. They provided dental screenings and consultation for about 350 homeless patients.
Now, she works in the private practice of Dr. Michael Haley in Smyrna.
"He's been in practice 30 years, and he is truly wonderful," she said.
Ferguson, who had earned a bachelor’s in musical theater before starting at Perimeter, says transitioning from acting to dental hygiene and community service isn’t as far-fetched as it sounds.
While in high school, Ferguson said she often thought: “Maybe I’ll be a performer, maybe I’ll be a dental hygienist.”
So it’s not surprising she pursued one and then made the switch.
Ferguson said she has found dental hygiene is just as fulfilling as performing under the lights.
“I’m glad to have an extra skill so I am able to help,” Ferguson said.