Growth. I think this word can explain what every college student experiences, as we all once walked in as teenagers and walked out as young adults who have overcome the challenges of adapting to independence. With growth comes challenges, opportunities, and, most importantly, wisdom. Each year when summer is approaching, I can take the time and reflect on everything I have experienced throughout the school year, and each time my story is different. It fills me with joy to feel that I am becoming a woman of maturity, self-reflection, and improvement each year. This school year was my first year of all in-person classes, juggling my extracurriculars on campus and my part-time job as a pharmacy technician. 

          From an academic standpoint, I’ve set higher goals for myself as my time here at the University of Cincinnati is ending, and my journey to applying to dental school has become closer. With academics being one of the many vital factors of my dental school application, I realized that my GPA was right at the cut-off of what was acceptable. After not having the best academic school year during my sophomore year, I realized I was paying the price now and set the goal of my third year to be my redemption year. As I was completing classes that required a lot of time and effort outside of class, I felt under pressure and stressed because I wanted to do the best I could in each class. With the help of the small community of friends I’ve made, I’m so appreciative to have had my friends to talk to or have a game night to relieve stress.  With lots of prioritizing, stress management, and determination, I am proud to say that I made the dean's list both semesters for the first time since my freshman year.

          This school year was the first time I added a part-time pharmacy technician job to my college schedule. When I first started working there, my job was still struggling with the shortage of technicians caused by Covid, I was thrown into the job with absolutely no experience in pharmacy. My job had now become a new stress of mine as I felt I wasn’t smart or good enough to complete my job effectively. I learned to adapt as time passed and became very good at my job! I love working in the pharmacy as I dip my toes in the water into the healthcare field. Working in the pharmaceutical field has solidified that health care is where I want to be. It enlightens my heart when patients seem to be excited to see me working, asking about my personal life, and keeping up with how I’m doing. To be someone who is serving public health and for people to be so thankful for me just by doing my job makes me feel important. I’m so grateful for my job as it has made me even more excited to continue my journey with Dental school as I will be able to connect with my patients in ways that I do in the Pharmacy. 

          This summer, I will be focusing on my dentistry journey as I will be preparing to take my Dental Admittance Test at the beginning of August and shadowing a dentist to learn more about the day-to-day life of a dentist. It’s so hard to believe that years ago, it was just a dream to think I’d make it as far as preparing for my test for dental school, so for me to be living in that dream makes me feel nothing but proud of myself.