At age 13 Kricket Koehn first started getting her teeth cleaned at Northwoods Family Dental in Rhinelander.
Now, she owns the practice.
“It can be crazy. But it’s really wonderful to be able to meet people in the community and find staff members and team members who are a great fit who are also an extension of yourself who want to help people as much as you do. It’s great to give back together,” said Dr. Koehn.
After graduating from Rhinelander High School, Koehn attended Nicolet College for two years earning her associates of Science Liberal Arts degree.
She balanced classes while working at the dentistry as a front desk receptionist, job shadowing, and eventually some basic dental assistance.
Koehn went on to earn her bachelor’s degree in Biology from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh and graduating from the Marquette University School of Dentistry in 2019.
When she moved back to Rhinelander, she ended up purchasing the practice she worked at as a young college student.
“My family is from here. I felt a really strong sense of community here in Rhinelander,” said Koehn.
Northwoods Family Dental now employs 10 people, two of whom are Nicolet graduates and two others who graduated from different Wisconsin technical colleges.
For all of her achievements, Koehn was recently awarded the 2022 Wisconsin Technical College System District Boards Association’s Distinguished Alumni of the Year award.
Nicolet College held a small ceremony for Koehn where staff and some of her former instructors shared memories of her time at Nicolet and dedication as a student.
“It means the world. I think it’s wonderful because I first started my journey here at Nicolet. I’m so excited to come back and see all the changes,” said Koehn. “I hope I inspire some students to also take part in the transfer program and go on for more schooling. Nicolet is a wonderful steppingstone for so many different people.”
