One fourteen-year-old girl in particular came in and I heard her say that she wasn't talking to her mother. Apparently, she had gone to a tattoo parlor to get a tongue piercing even though her mother had refused to sign the consent form. After the doctor removed the piercing, she refused to talk to anybody and she was obviously very angry at everybody. I spent a few minutes talking to her alone and I showed her some pictures in a medical journal that the doctor gave me. When I showed her the second picture of a girl with a horribly swollen tongue (and face) in a hospital emergency room, she screamed and shouted "Why are you trying to gross me out?" I showed her the description under the picture which said

"Streptococcal infection caused by oral piercing." After that, she took the whole magazine from me to look at the rest of the pictures and she even read the article

(written for doctors). She asked me if she could have a copy to show some of her friends and I photocopied it for her to take home. I noticed that when she left with her mother they were talking about the article.

Through these experiences, (and others), I learned that dentistry is not just about teeth and gums, but also about people. Some people require only regular preventative dental care, but other people come to our office for problems that affect their lives in more ways than I ever knew. I enjoy my job tremendously and hope that becoming a dental hygienist will allow me to continue helping people, eventually help me pay for college, and maybe even apply to dental

I have always had a job since I was twelve years old and I contribute whatever I can to help my parents pay for all the clothes and other things that I need for school. It is important to me to be as self-sufficient as possible and not to waste money on trivial things. At first, the idea of asking for money to help us pay for my school made me uncomfortable, but my mother, in particular, encouraged me to apply for a scholarship. She said that if people receive loans for all sorts of recreational things like motorcycles and boats, I should not be too proud (or ashamed) to apply for a scholarship to help me achieve my goals of entering a medical profession that helps so many people.
I consider myself very highly motivated to pursue my interest in dentistry as far as my abilities (and finances) allow, and I am confident that, as a dental hygienist, will be able to accomplish my long-term goals of graduating from college and returning to my patients (and my parents) some of the good will that I have been fortunate enough to have in my own life. Thank you for considering my application.