UM-Flint's Bell earns Maize and Blue Award after 24-year journey to obtain degree

After spending nearly 20 years in the dental industry, Aneta Bell returned to higher education and experienced a full-circle moment at the University of Michigan-Flint.

"My family and I moved to Hamtramck from Poland in the late 1980s; it was a wonderful community in so many ways, where more than 30 different languages were spoken in the school system, and, for the most part, everyone got along — but we didn't have a lot of resources available to us when it came to education," the fall 2025 Maize and Blue Distinguished Scholar said. "I was accepted to UM-Dearborn in 2001, but I could not attend due to financial barriers. I received a partial scholarship at another university, and I pursued a career in computer networking while working in banking and retail. That was short-lived, and I found my temporary place in life as an on-the-job trained pediatric and surgical dental assistant. However, I never gave up on my dream of completing my bachelor's degree as a Wolverine."

As a pediatric dental assistant, Bell helped children with physical and cognitive disabilities, and eventually transitioned to working with adults in various dental specialties. These experiences fueled her interest in psychology. "What people often overlook is that dentistry is, in large part, psychology — we frequently worked with people who had a dental phobia, sometimes stemming from a childhood trauma, but often without any clear cause," she said. "Their fear was very real, and I was always drawn to the most anxious patients because I recognized that, even though these people were terrified, they wanted to take care of themselves, and I wanted to support them. Several years ago, after certain life-altering events, I realized that it was time to make significant changes. I first looked into furthering my education in the dental field, in pursuit of a dental hygiene degree, because it was familiar, and a University of Michigan Dental Hygiene degree was both appealing and a seemingly natural progression from my dental experience. Still, every time I took a step in that direction, something pulled me back. I knew I wanted something different. I also knew that I was going to find it at the University of Michigan."

With the intention of securing advanced standing in a Master of Social Work program in the future, Bell initially enrolled in UM-Flint's Bachelor of Social Work program. "I knew that the bachelor's was an important first step toward my master's, but in my first few courses, I realized that I was desperately craving more psychology classes and switched to the psychology program shortly thereafter," she said. "I had recently been through a divorce, my uncle took his own life in 2020, and, of course, the pandemic happened. Encouraged by my now-husband, I began working with a therapist and found it to be really valuable. I felt I could take all the experiences I've had, gain more foundational knowledge in psychology, and bring a different perspective to my future career in social work and counseling."

While UM-Flint offers several pathways for psychology majors, Bell chose to study in the Accelerated Online Degree Completion format. "I knew that it was going to be demanding, but I also knew that it was a vital stepping stone toward my eventual goal of earning my master's in social work, counseling or psychology," said Bell. "Even though I put everything I had into my work, I was stunned when I received the Maize and Blue nomination letter from the Psychology Department. The faculty have been some of the most exceptional instructors and mentors throughout my undergraduate journey. Being recognized in this way feels incredibly meaningful and reaffirms the hard work I've put in over the past two years."

Her experiences at UM-Flint have positively shaped Bell's self-perception, both personally and professionally. "Because I am a nontraditional student and I had a lot of life and work experiences coming into it, I don't think I anticipated how much personal growth I would experience as part of this program," she said. "The psychology program, in particular, fostered far more introspection than I expected. It taught me a lot about myself, about the things I want to work on, especially when it comes to caring for my mental health. It has always been important for me to show up for others, but this experience has shown me that I need to show up for myself in the same way."

Growing up in Hamtramck exposed Bell to rich cultural diversity, while her conservative religious upbringing emphasized compassion and kindness. Her experience at UM-Flint later broadened and deepened her naturally open-minded perspective. "Professionally, I know that I am on my way to becoming a much better listener, to seeing all the sides of a story," she said. "Today, I abide less by the golden rule, and more by the platinum rule: Treat others the way they want to be treated."

As Bell looks forward to her next goal and researches the various paths available to her, one of her major takeaways is to broaden her knowledge continually. "I feel like the more I learn, the less I know, so there is a little bit of uncertainty there, but also a lot of opportunity. I'm not sure if I want to go down the psychology research and teaching path, social work path, or counseling path, so I am looking into different programs to see what they offer and where I might best serve," she said.

Bell advises current and future UM-Flint students to speak up and ask questions. "The faculty are so exceptional, and they really love teaching psychology; they are there for you and will jump through hoops if you show them that you're devoted and determined to learn," she said. "Focus on reflective and critical thinking — you're not going to be an expert directly after graduation, but you will gain things that are just as important: discipline, critical thinking skills, and a deeper understanding of yourself, of others, and of your next steps toward self-actualization."