Growing up in rural Virginia allowed me a unique life experience for many reasons. My environment exposed me to the positive and negative aspects of life. I saw first-hand how drugs destroy a community and create a cycle of poverty. I experienced the struggles of being poor. My family couldn’t afford to focus on traveling and indulging in fun activities; the main priority was making sure there was dinner on the table. In order to barely make ends meet, many worked around the clock at a minimum wage job. My parents worked long hours for 7 days a week. Despite the lack of time family time, my parents managed to instill a love for education in me and motivated me to pursue my dreams despite how unlikely the odds may seem. The majority of my friends didn’t have the same support system and therefore could not focus on creating a future because the current moment was so unstable and unpredictable. Thus …show more content…
The abscess in my tooth exposed the pulp and the different layers. After doing further research, I was awestruck by the complexities of a tooth. At that moment, the mouth became more complex and I was able to appreciate its nuances. The dentist became more than someone who placed filling and pulled teeth. At this same moment, I realized I found my calling. I further explored my interest in dentistry through the Dental Career Exploration Pipeline Program. Through this program I learned the impact of one’s oral health on one’s overall health. I learned the types of procedures dentists perform other than the typical filling and extraction. The most memorable and influential part was placing filling and caps, repairing chipped teeth, and many other procedures I was able to perform myself on the mannequin. I left with confidence that dentistry was the career for me. I’d always be interested due to the fact each patient has a unique situation, not to mention the actual work was