Hi there. My name is Sue Yi (淑仪), but I preferred to be called Susan. Why you may ask? My sister and I both legally have the same name Sue Ni. In Chinese culture, the first name usually consists of two characters. Often times, when there are two daughters in the family the first character will stay the same. In my case, its Sue (淑). Unfortunately, on our birth certificates they separated the two characters and recorded the second character as our middle name. Thus, I preferred to be known as Susan.
Life at home is never boring. I’m the middle child in a family of six people. I have an older sister and two younger brothers. When I was younger, I absolutely hated getting my teeth pulled out. I despised local anesthesia. Trust me, I was THAT kid wailing in the dental office. It’s ironic how I am now a dental hygienist with the capabilities of administering local anesthesia.
With great candor, I never knew I would love being a dental hygienist. In 2018, my dentist for the past 13 years had granted my request to work in her office. Without prior experience, I was slowly trained to be a receptionist and dental assistant. This confirmed my lack of fear towards saliva and blood. In fact, I was fascinated when the dentist would extract decaying teeth or perform oral surgeries. Thus, I preceded with the prerequisite courses in order to qualify for the dental hygiene program.
Coming to this program was where I found my love for dental hygiene. One of my professors made a significant impact on this viewpoint. She was passionate about her work. She convinced me that we are not people who merely clean teeth. We can save lives! When I completed the cleaning for my first patient, I felt proud to be able to provide such high standard of care, to build a bond of trust with my patient, and for them to leave with contentment. Plus I’m sure I am not alone on this, but there is that beautiful satisfaction from scaling that nice, tenacious calculus off. I’m happy to be graduating with a specialized skill that I love.
Please, feel free to browse through the rest of my e-portfolio. You will find more information about the work I have accomplished in the past two years. Enjoy!
My siblings and I
My adorable parents!
Showing my brother how to brush his teeth for the very first time!
Toothpaste all over the face
