Three Rivers College has selected Dr. Amy F. Rowland to receive its 2022 Distinguished Alumni Award. A public reception in her honor will be held at 4:30 p.m. Monday, April 11, at the Tinnin Fine Arts Center.
“We are honored to include Dr. Rowland as part of the Three Rivers family,” Three Rivers President Dr. Wesley Payne said. “She was able to use her nursing degree rather than a bachelor’s degree to apply to dental school, and is a wonderful example of how students can achieve success at Three Rivers on a non-traditional academic pathway.”
Dr. Rowland graduated from Poplar Bluff High School in 1996 and then enrolled in the Three Rivers College Nursing Program, which qualified her to pursue a degree in dentistry.
“Whenever I started my Three Rivers career, I just did not have the finances or the capability to travel for my education,” Dr. Rowland said. “That nursing program, the wonderful faculty and staff here, gave me the confidence and skills that I needed to move on and get a doctorate.”
After earning her Nursing Degree, Dr. Rowland practiced as a registered nurse for three years before being accepted into the University of Oklahoma College of Dentistry program. Dr. Rowland graduated with a Doctorate of Dental Surgery degree with honors for achievement in periodontics, operative dentistry, and treatment of the disabled.
Dr. Rowland then returned to Poplar Bluff to begin her dental practice, helping thousands of patients during her career. She is the owner of Rowland Family Dentistry, a member of the American Dental Association, Missouri Dental Association, Three Rivers Dental Society, and a former member of the Butler County Health Department Board.
“My favorite part about my job is I am able to serve my community and the people that I grew up with, and Three Rivers College has been instrumental in bringing me back here to do that,” Dr. Rowland said. “I’m excited that the community has such a great institution to help the people in this town and the surrounding towns to achieve their dreams, and that is what Three Rivers has done for me.”
Dr. Rowland is also a cancer survivor and has worked to raise thousands of dollars for charities supporting cancer research and treatment. Dr. Rowland is married to Kenny Dale Rowland, and they have three children, Jeffrey, Sophia, and River.
To make a reservation for Dr. Rowland’s public reception, contact Three Rivers Director of Development Michelle Reynolds at 573-840-9077, or at michellereynolds@trcc.edu. Dr. Rowland requests any contributions made in her honor be earmarked to a scholarship for teenage parents with financial need.
Three Rivers College is committed to contributing to the quality of life in Southeast Missouri with quality, affordable higher education opportunities and community services that support and encourage the economic, civic, and cultural vitality of the region. For more information about college and workforce programs and upcoming events, visit trcc.edu.
