Serena Johnson:
How long has Pinnacle Institute been around, and what was the inspiration behind it opening up?
Christopher Rodriguez:
So, Pinnacle, we ran our first class in December 2019. We established Pinnacle because there is a shortage of dental support staff, and we branched into medical as well. So, the courses that were offered in the area with the local college were bloated when it came to price, when it came to the time frame for the class. It just wasn't affordable, and it wasn't attainable.
Serena Johnson:
What are the enrollment numbers at your school looking like, and what would you say is the main demographic of the students there?
Christopher Rodriguez:
In 2025, we enrolled about 200 individuals, and this year will probably be 250, but we've been increasing.
Serena Johnson:
It seems like y'all are probably getting mostly like working adults or people who need that flexible schedule.
Christopher Rodriguez:
It really is, I mean, from 18 to 60. So, it really is anybody who– it's those who are barely starting their careers, they don't know what to do. It's those who got divorced at 30 and don't have any options for anything else, so they branch into that. It's those who are going through a midlife crisis in their 50s and 60s who want to do something different. So, it really is just like every aspect. I have so many people with biology degrees coming through because they can't find work. So, they take our classes to, you know, add to their credentials.
Serena Johnson:
What does this training look like for students at your institute?
Christopher Rodriguez:
Most of the classes are 9 to 19 weeks. So, it's all beneath 4 months. There are clinicals in every class where they do rotations and they get experience. The tuition includes everything that they would need to work, and then they get a home when it comes to clinical sites. So, most of the time, they get a job after the fact.
Serena Johnson:
Okay, and just curious, what is that tuition?
Christopher Rodriguez:
Right now, dental assisting is riding $6,000, and that one can be payment plans. We have tuition assistance with multiple programs in the area. It's not financial aid with FAFSA, it's grants, so you don't have to pay it back and it doesn't affect their FAFSA funding. So, if they want to go back to school after they started with us, they have the option to.
Serena Johnson:
You don't have to have any prior knowledge or studies to start at the school?
Christopher Rodriguez:
In order to take some licenses, you have to have your GED or high school diploma, but a lot of our classes you can take without, but no, no prerequisites. There's a small entrance exam, but it's very easy. But the classes, we literally hold your hand throughout the whole process. So, it's very hard to fail unless you want to fail.
Serena Johnson:
So, from my understanding, you guys partner with local clinics and hospitals so these students can get hands-on experience.
Christopher Rodriguez:
Mm-hmm. We have about 55 partners in the whole area– the southwest.
Serena Johnson:
And have you heard any feedback from some of these community partners on what it's like having these students?
Christopher Rodriguez:
Yeah, I mean, and granted, they're students, so there's bad and good experiences, but here when it comes to training them, we do let them know like, “Hey, there are things that are acceptable and unacceptable. If you lose your clinical site, that's an instant fail because that means that you didn't care enough to develop a relationship or solve problems to keep that site.” In high schools, they just kind of pass kids along just to get them through, but we can't do that because these are medically trained individuals. So, if you're not good when it comes to hands on– drawing blood when it comes to, cleaning teeth, when it comes to injections– you won't get the blessing of your certification because it's a danger to the public. So, we do set a standard.
Serena Johnson:
So how many students who graduate actually stay in Las Cruces?
Christopher Rodriguez:
A lot of these certifications are national, and then some of them are state, right? I would say, let's say a phlebotomy class, we run it here and there's 20 of them. I would say about 10 of them probably stay here and five keep going to school and then five move out to a different city.
Serena Johnson:
What does success look like for you all?
Christopher Rodriguez:
When I see the individual fall in love with their work or what they do. I think we're at a point where you have to find joy in your work and life. So, whenever we see somebody fall in love with what they do, that's success for us. You know, we're advocating for the success of our area.
Serena Johnson:
All right, thank you.
Christopher Rodriguez:
You have a great day.
