This story is part of CNBC Make It's Ditching the Degree series, where women who have built six-figure careers without a bachelor's degree reveal the secrets of their success.
Ashley Quezada has found a career she loves in a place some dread, and others avoid: the dentist's office.
It's a lot different than the career Quezada imagined for herself as a teenager growing up in northern Virginia.
"I needed a different career path that would create stability for our son and future children," she says.
Now, Quezada is a dental hygienist and earns about $140,000 a year as a specialty regional director at Pacific Dental Services in Murrieta, California.
Persons:
Ashley Quezada, Quezada, —
Organizations:
CNBC, U.S ., U.S . Navy, Navy, U.S . Coast Guard, Pacific Dental Services
Locations:
California, Virginia, U.S, Spain, Greece, Bahrain, Murrieta , California