12.12.22

Diversity of Achievement

By Junetta Everett ’79

Being a first-generation college student raised by my grandparents, I credit them for making sure I took advantage of higher education and for seeing beyond people’s differences as a positive. My road to success could not have been possible without the education and experiences I had during my time as a student at Wichita State University. While there were at times challenges, they were ultimately rewarding. Who would have thought that I would not only become known as a community leader in dental, business and diversity, equity and inclusion, but a dedicated ambassador for my university.

When I began WSU’s dental hygiene program in the mid-1970s, I was challenged by a clinical instructor who suggested I consider another profession, stating that the curriculum was expensive and, most disturbing, that some of my future clients might be uncomfortable with me as their hygienist. That challenge only made me more determined to persevere, and I graduated in 1979 as the first Black dental hygienist in the history of my alma mater — and in the State of Kansas.

After graduating and immediately starting to work in private practice, I began recruiting more minorities and men to the female-dominated profession, in part by speaking to high school students about the WSU program and career possibilities in dental hygiene. My own career grew to feature serving as vice president of professional relations with Delta Dental of Kansas, the largest dental insurance provider in the state. Eventually, my husband Victor ’79, a WSU track and field standout and active Shocker alumnus, and I were blessed to be able to offer a scholarship in dental hygiene for people of color at Wichita State.

Prior to retiring from Delta Dental, I was appointed the 2020 board chair of the Wichita Regional Chamber of Commerce, the largest Chamber in Kansas. I was just the sixth female, the first healthcare provider and the first person of color to hold that position in the Chamber’s 103 years of existence — and I attribute that opportunity to serve and help build relationships in large measure to my dental hygiene career and my education at Wichita State.

Higher education is a life-changing opportunity. To this day, I stand ready to take a challenge and am determined to not let the challenges beat me. This is a lesson I have passed on to my five sons, who are graduates of the University of Texas, Missouri, and Wichita State. Each of them has carried on my passion for giving back. My second son Taurean, for example, graduated from WSU in 2007 with a bachelor’s degree in performing arts and is a Broadway actor whose credits include (partially) “Mamma Mia,” “Miss Saigon,” “The Cher Show,” and “Moulin Rouge.” Although busy and living in NYC, he is giving back to our alma mater by serving on the WSU IDEA Alliance Board, whose members advise, guide and dialogue on matters of inclusion, diversity, equity and access for the School of Performing Arts.

As a passionate advocate for Wichita State and its mission and goals, my advice for every Shocker is this: Once you have worked for your education, let your education work for you.

Junetta Everett is a member of the Kansas African American Museum Trailblazer’s Hall of Fame and the Wichita Business Hall of Fame. Her many other accolades and honors include Leaders in Diversity designation and the WSU Alumni Recognition Award.