From the big stage at Coney Island to the classrooms of the Hillsborough College (formerly Hillsborough Community
College) Dale Mabry Campus, Miki Sudo brings the same drive that made her an 11-time undefeated champion of the Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest to her studies in dental hygiene. Miki shares the highlights of her experience as a second-year dental hygiene student while balancing a unique career as a competitive eater and continuing to work. Her ambition doesn’t stop there. As she travels back to Coney Island in July to defend her title once again, all while looking ahead to the possibilities after completing her program. Editor’s Note: The interview below was edited for clarity. The interview was originally conducted on June 30, 2025.
Let’s talk about the contest coming up Friday and your history there. How [did] you start [in competitive eating] and what keeps you going?
Before coming to HCC, my primary focus, or main job, was being a competitive eater.
And this Friday, the Fourth of July, I'll be defending my title and going for my 11th belt at Coney Island.
Definitely not your traditional line of work. But it's been a fun balancing that while shifting toward my new career.
I came in with the class of 2025 in the fall of ‘23. I took a year off, and I’ve come back and will be graduating next May.
What made you pursue being a dental hygienist?
I joined the dental hygiene program later on in life. I came to HCC already with a bachelor’s degree, but I decided to come back to school when my husband and I decided to start a family.
I'm in a somewhat unconventional line of work where there is not really a set retirement path. So, I was looking for a very, very focused way to expand my skill set, where I would gain really valuable experience in a targeted industry. So, I knew that I wanted to be in the limited access health field, and I started exploring my options, and dental hygiene really stuck out to me.
What are some of the things you do as a dental hygiene student?
Our experience at the dental hygiene program is part lecture, part clinical. So, while we do have a lot of hours in the classroom, where we learn theory, we also get a lot of hands-on practice working on patients, right here in the community.
So, we do all preventative work—basically cleanings, X-rays and oral cancer screenings. We can even place sealants and make night guards and bleaching trays. We learn a lot here.
Top highlight of the program so far?
I'm just amazed at how much I've learned in just the first half of the dental hygiene program. Everything from tooth anatomy to instruments that were completely foreign to me just a year ago are things that are part of my daily routine, and I'm really proud of the skill set that I've developed in this program.
Do you want to give a shoutout to anyone in the program?
I have gone to a fancy private school, I graduated with my bachelor's from a big state school, but the quality of education and the individualized attention that I've gotten at HCC right here has blown all of my other experiences out of the water.
I had no idea when I applied and started at HCC that I was going to get such individualized attention, not just in the classroom, but even outside of my academic work. I'm continuously impressed by how much the dean of Health Sciences, the program director of the dental hygiene program--how much the instructors and staff--how much they've taken an interest in all of our success and well-being.
I consider myself extremely fortunate to be in this program. The quality of the program is also very intense, but I feel like--I feel very well-equipped moving forward in the career field.
Talk about the people you’re taking with you [to the competition].
My husband competes in competitive eating as well. We actually met at the hot dog eating competition a couple of years back. Now, it’s a whole family affair. We’ll be bringing all three kids. I’ll also be bringing my schoolwork, so I don’t fall behind in the week I’m in New York.
It’s just a fun experience, spending the Fourth of July in Coney Island.
And I know that I have the support of a lot of my fellow students. They say that they'll be watching back here. So, I'll be thinking of HCC while I'm defending my title.
I saw a clip you posted from last year. Your son was asked “what’s your favorite vegetable” and he said a hot dog?
Oh my god! I could not train him to say that if I wanted to. The most random things come out of his mouth. My son, Max, is just a ball of energy. He’s inquisitive and fun, and I think because we’ve been dragging him across the country and actually to even other countries for competitions since he was two months old, he’s a very well-rounded adventurous kid, and I love that about him.
He also loves food. I promise I feed him vegetables. I think there were hot dogs in front of him off camera, so that’s what he was focused on at that time.
Moving forward, thinking of the next year, five years, after you graduate from HCC, do you have any immediate current plans?
My immediate focus is to keep up with the very intense nature of this program. I’ve got all the support I need to make that happen, so I’m really looking forward to graduation next May. There are several possibilities after graduation, but I think I see myself working chairside at least in the beginning of my career.
I love working with patients, and the opportunity to see their oral health situation improve under my care is really exciting.