Category: Intro (Page 2 of 6)

I feel uncomfortable. Not anxious. But deeply, deeply uncomfortable with being a part of something that I don’t really want to. To voluntarily subject myself to the frustration of a system that I inherently do not agree with, because I want to be able to accomplish certain things, and I’ve finally come up against a wall that can only be overcome with a piece of paper. I feel as though I’ve betrayed my own values in order to accomplish something, betrayed my very happiness for my future. I’ve always been very much an autodidact, and this feels so much like I’m stuck between the choice of really learning something new, and being able to prove to somebody else that I’ve “learned”. I feel like the majority of my classes are me paying a great deal of money to listen to things I learned about over years of working in the “industry” simply because nobody has cared enough to figure out a way to test out of them. I don’t mind that the classes are online, I do mind that the school charges the same amount without giving the professors the resources or training to be able to succeed in delivering the same education that they used to. Mostly, I think I’m frustrated at feeling like I’m “starting over” 6 years later, and I think my ego is projecting it’s insecurities onto the framework that I’ve voluntarily entered into, and that framework really isn’t doing anything to reassure me that this was the right decision. If you’ve stuck along this long, here’s a photo of my dog, Lennox, that is incredibly misleading as far as the content of the message it accompanies, he’s a real good boy. I chose a picture of him because for all the uncertainty that life has, especially during Covid (I’ve lived in 5 different states) he’s a wonderful, annoying constant. 

Zero and I

My name is Jessica Gomez, I preferred to be called Jessie. I am feeling appreciable this semester. This is my second semester and I honestly thought that the first semester was stressful and uncertain for me because this is my very first time back in school after not attending for many years. I also think it was very stressful due to the current pandemic. I was laid off in March by the dental office I worked for as a dental treatment coordinator and was afraid of starting school without any income. Last semester I did not qualify for financial aid and was mad, sad, and a bit discouraged about this and made me think about how the school system needs to change for the better for all students. Now I will face debt like most  Americans. This leads me to focus more on meditation, my health, my family, and my goals. I’ve realized that time does not stop and that I shouldn’t either. I took this course because is a prerequisite for my Hygiene program. The dental field is all I’ve known for almost 7 years now and I’m excited to continue with my career and not let my insecurities or situations I can’t control intervene in my ultimate goal of becoming a dental hygienist. I relish the fact that in this class we interact with each other differently than in my last semester’s virtual classes. Professor Schmerler’s class was very enjoyable and made me excited to learn how to articulate and write better. The picture you will see is of my little dog named Zero Kornelius and myself. Zero has been in my life for 5 years now and he is literarily like my child. He is very important to me because I met zero the same day my grandmother passed away, he helped me cope with the loss and brought happiness to my life also thought me how to become way more responsible, ever since then he has been my sweetest companion. Zeros birthday is February 7th, as always I will be baking a cake for him.