My journey to becoming a dental hygienist began in 2018. My reason for choosing this career is my willingness to help others. A career in dental hygiene offers me the opportunity to help others and also makes a difference in people’s oral and systemic health.
I never thought I could choose a career in the dental field because the dental anxiety I’ve experience since childhood. Back in Ecuador during my 4th grade, the school I attended hand a dental program. All the students had to go to the clinic for dental prophylaxis and check-up. For me it was the first time going to the dentist. I remember very vividly telling my friends, “I am not afraid of the dentist because I have never had a toothache in my life.” I was so proud of it. That day a tooth was extracted. After that just the idea of going to the dentist made me cried. It took years before my mom could take me to the dentist without me given her a hard time. Today that memory reminds me that with patience and dedication we can overcome our fears and not allow them to stop us from doing something again or trying something new.
I firmly believe that dedication and consistency are the keys to success. The quote, “Success is the sum of small efforts repeated day in day out,” by Robert Collier describes perfect all the effort I put to be where I am now. The first steps as a student were the most difficult to give because they were full of doubt and uncertainty, I did not know what to expect for each course, and having English as a second language added more complexity. My first semester in college was full time, it cost me a couple of tears, but I handled it and passed all my courses. After that first semester, the other semesters were more manageable, and now I’m about to achieve my goal.
The next step is to work in my profession, apply and enhance what was learned during these two years, and participate in community programs in my local area.
