i.Overview of My Journey

Through the interwoven threads of my academic pursuits, personal passions, and community engagement, I have discovered that true growth emerges from embracing diverse experiences, each contributing to a transformative journey of self-discovery. With these revelations and the practice of reflection, I recognize the power of self-awareness and the importance of continuous learning. Reflecting on my academic journey, I am filled with humility and passion. The path to my senior year of undergrad has been an experience of growth, challenge, and transformation. The process of articulating my e-portfolio has allowed me to critically examine parts of me that I have run away from due to fear, which reflects many challenges I faced during my academic experiences. In light of this process, I have been allowed to give grace to the lessons learned by the person I have become and continue to discover. The research collected based on my experiences and my yearning for belonging influenced my academic and personal development. I delved into a diverse scope of topics that mirror my many questions and thoughts regarding the person I am and how I have evolved towards this point in my life. These reflections have not only served as a means of showcasing my knowledge but have also allowed me to engage in a deep and meaningful introspection that I will take with me for a lifetime. As Dewey explains in one of the articles I read, true reflection involves the “active, persistent, and careful consideration of any belief or supposed form of knowledge in light of the grounds that support it and the further conclusions towards which it tends.” (Nickel, J., 2019). This transformational experience has given me a safe space to critically evaluate my past experiences and provide the building blocks for my future growth and success. Healing comes in many forms, and it is not an absolute process, nor is there one specific way of healing. For me, healing has been challenging my mind by pursuing higher education, failing dental exams, and encouraging my body toward its highest potential, mentally and physically. It has been a long process of transformative reflection and shedding the old to invite the new. I have felt alone, misunderstood, judged by many, especially my dental colleagues, and ultimately lost, but practicing mindfulness and yoga has always given me confidence and a sense of reassurance that everything will be okay and that I am exactly where I need to be. A beautiful quote that resonates with my life journey is from an author named Aadil Palkhivala: “True yoga is not about the shape of your body, but the shape of your life. Yoga is not to be performed; yoga is to be lived. Yoga doesn’t care about where you have been; yoga cares about the person you are becoming. Yoga is designed for a vast and profound purpose, and for it to be truly called yoga, its essence must be embodied.” (Palkhivala, 2008). I was first introduced to yoga in my first year of college. I was just finishing my last semester of freshman year and found myself in the darkest place, yearning for that sense of belonging in my adolescence and early adulthood. I had never experienced such serenity and peace as I did that first moment in Savasana. For those unfamiliar with the most surrendering pose, Savanasa, I can help give you an idea. This is the final resting pose after a yoga practice, where you lie on your back and surrender to the earth, releasing all worries. Since this very experience, I knew this was what I wanted to feel every day for the rest of my life, and I wanted others to experience this peace. After many years of long study hours, fear, anxiety, rejection, and even questioning my existence, I finally felt free. I was accepted into Suny Orange Community College’s dental hygiene program in 2018 after being denied entry for the third time. Finally, after being waitlisted, I received a phone call from the program director with an opportunity to be one of the twenty students who would potentially be in the graduating class of 2020. Orientation was a staple to my dental hygiene school experience; this was a surreal experience and an opportunity to see other strong women who had worked hard to be there for the first time. I can still remember the excitement, intimidation, anxiety, and stillness I felt in this room. I wanted nothing more than to be a dental hygienist. It was what I thought was a dream come true, all I ever wanted. Little did I know that as hard as I worked to get into the program, it was nothing close to what was yet to come.