Thirteen Years in the Making

Almost exactly 13 years ago, I had one little appointment that changed my life. Most sentences like that lead to some devastating words like, "I was diagnosed with cancer." My story is not nearly that dramatic; for me, this appointment was my first ever dental visit. The dentist my sister went to would only see children 7 or older. I remember wanting to go to the dentist so badly, but I wasn't old enough. When my mom told me that the dentist was going to let me come in a few days before my 7th birthday, I was elated. I felt like such a grown up, getting to get my teeth cleaned! Most kids hated going to the dentist, but I loved it; I loved it so much that, after that first appointment I told my mom that I knew what I wanted to do when I grew up: I wanted to be a dental hygienist. From then on, it was my plan, and it was set in stone.

I remember walking around the playground in 5th or 6th grade talking to my friend Emily about the future. I asked her if she knew what she wanted to do when she grew up and she said she wasn't sure yet, but that she'd thought about physical therapy. She knew that it had been my plan for a few years to be a dental hygienist and she asked if I thought that I would stick to that or that I'd change my mind. I told her that I couldn't imagine wanting to do anything else, simple as that.

Once I reached middle school, I started to plan. I looked at the possible educational paths I could take. I had decided some time in elementary school that I wanted to do Running Start at Skagit Valley College so that I could get all of my pre-reqs done while still in high school. I began to look into schools that I could go to after Skagit and found out that Eastern Washington University was the only university in the state that offered a dental hygiene degree. That school became my top pick, followed by Shoreline and Lewis and Clark. I knew that it was going to be hard, but I was determined.

In 11th grade, I started classes at Skagit. I had spent countless hours researching the pre-reqs for each school and figuring out which ones I could take at Skagit. It was going to be tough, but I had worked it out so that I could take all of the pre-reqs for all three schools at Skagit. My first quarter was great; I had the perfect schedule, great classes and great teachers. I was enrolled full-time at the school, was able to finish class every day by 10:30 and work part-time at Papa Murphys. It was a great set-up!

Winter quarter of my junior year changed everything. I found myself with classes that didn't start until 11:30 every day. I could either take an additional class that I didn't need or, at my dad's suggestion, look into volunteering at a dentist office. I thought my dad's idea was great and quickly stopped in at my dentist office to ask if it would be possible for me to come in every morning and observe. He agreed to let me come in, so starting January 2008, I went in three days a week. I split my time between observing hygiene, restorative and working in the front office. After a few weeks, I found myself in a dilemma: I loved being in the office but I really, really did not enjoy my time spent observing hygiene appointments. Every appointment was pretty much the same and really was not that interesting to me. The restorative appointments were a lot more fun to be a part of. Every appointment was different and they were a lot more exciting. I also loved my time spent in the front office doing filing and insurance work.

I talked to a couple of friends about my dilemma. I found myself really not wanting to be a hygienist anymore, but instead wanting to be an assistant. Everyone I talked to was so encouraging and reassuring. Part of me felt like I was abandoning The Plan that I'd had my whole life and I didn't want to fail myself or my family; on the other hand, it was gonna be hard work to get into the program, and I didn't want to spend all that money on a career I really wasn't that excited about. I was having a tough time with my microbiology class that quarter, and I knew that I had a lot more of them to come. I did a little research into the dental assisting program at Bellingham Technical College and thought that it might be the program for me. I sat my parents down and told them about my change in plans. They were extremely encouraging and let me know that it was perfectly fine for me to alter my plan a bit. I wasn't abandoning all that I had been working for, just tweaking things a bit. So I had a new goal: BTC.

Changing career focus allowed me more freedom at Skagit. I didn't have to take all science classes, which are pretty much my least favorite, and I would be able to earn an Associates degree. I got to take a lot of fun classes, from Small Group Communication to History of Rock and Roll, and really just had a great time earning my degree. Graduation day was huge for me. I was 17 years old and had earned a 2 year degree. Words cannot describe how accomplished I felt.

Back at the end of my junior year, Dr. Rasmussen found himself in need of a new part time front office employee. Instead of advertising the position, he offered it to me. I was already there, so why not start paying me? About a year after hiring me and just after graduating, Dr. Rasmussen asked me if I would be interested in working in a full time position as a schedule coordinator. I took the job and became part of the team at his office. At first, I was only there three days a week as I had some classes to finish at BTC prior to applying for the dental assisting program. At the end of 2009, I finished my classes and began really working full time. Dr. Dan was a great boss; although he knew I'd be leaving the job in a few months to start the dental assisting program, he included me in everything. I was able to go to several dental seminars put on by a dental consultant, Alan. I learned a great deal about communication in a dental office both with the team and with the patient. I also gained a lot of knowledge about dentistry itself.

My last day of work for Dr. Rasmussen was my 19th birthday in June 2010. It was a really bittersweet day, knowing I was leaving an amazing job and office but also knowing I was continuing the journey towards my goals and dreams. I spent the summer on some incredible adventures; I visited England, Paris, Las Vegas, Utah and Los Angeles, returning home 2 weeks before starting school. It was an amazing way to spend my 'last' summer as a student.

I remember my first day of class. I showed up early, books in hand, and got my kit of supplies for the year. I took my seat in the class, heart pounding on the inside but trying to keep it cool on the outside. As my classmates took their seats, I glanced at them all, thinking about how we would be spending the next nine months together. The class was a lot smaller than I expected with only 14 of us. When my teacher walked in, my first thought was that she looked so young, she had probably only graduated a few years ago herself. My initial thought was wrong. It was her first year teaching, but she was far from inexperienced, having been in the field for 20 years. We started class by introducing ourselves, then spent the morning looking over what we'd be learning. Despite my small dental background, everything seemed pretty foreign. There was a lot to learn and not a lot of time.

To be honest, a lot of the last nine months are a blur. Everything went by so fast. Looking back on things that happened three months ago, it seems like years. I ended up with some great classmates. Most of us were truly there to support and encourage one another. Some of us went through some personal trials, mine being the loss of my grandpa Bob back in January. Outside of the support from my friends and family, I probably couldn't have made it through school without the support from my classmates and teacher. Everyone was so encouraging and willing to just let me talk if I needed to. We formed a great support system for each other and I consider so many of them not just classmates but friends.

There is so much more I could say about the last nine months, so many stories I could tell. I have gone through so much personal growth. Looking back at who I was in September and who I am now, there are so many changes! Some of those changes came from the experiences I had at school, the friendships I made there, while others came from experiences and friendships outside of school. I have been blessed with an incredible community of people in my life!

Yesterday was it. It was my last day of school, and the start of the rest of my life. We went through all of the classic graduation activities: photos, hugs, laughs and memories. As I moved my tassel to the left side of my hat last night, as I walked across the stage to the cheer of my friends and family, as I shook the hand of my schools president, and as I hugged my teacher and thanked her for everything this year, a flood of emotions overwhelmed me. I began to tear up, realizing that this truly was it. I had made it. It was a struggle, sure, but I reached the finish line.

Thirteen years in the making.