Ruveid Rizvic

Dr. Kehr – Senior Seminar I

21 November 2022

Vocational Essay #1

Vocation is not something that can be defined in just a sentence. It is the journey, the life-

changing decisions, the lifestyle, and the occupation that brings great joy to the person that

shapes their vocation. Anyone can have the same occupation or things they do that bring them

joy as other people would, but the difference in vocation is the path that led to that point. There

can be many obstacles or catalysts during the molding of one’s vocation, and for my vocation, it

is no different. In this essay, I will describe my life journey and how that guided me to work to

be an aspiring dental hygienist to encourage others to find something they strive to do and brings

them joy.

I came into the world knowing I was in good hands. I was brought in without letting out a

single peep, peacefully sleeping in my mother’s arms at 9 PM. I wasn’t afraid, but I also looked

as if there was a bright future ahead of me. Throughout my childhood and even today, I have

always known that my parents were everything to me and that I would always be grateful and

loving toward them. They want me to become everything I wanted to be, succeeding at one goal

at a time. While there were some things that they didn’t agree with, like my interest in video

games as a hobby, they knew that every person has interests and things they want to explore in

their lives.
 It was not only my parents that I love dearly, however. I also had immense compassion

toward my older cousin from my mom’s side of the family. She was blind and deaf, relying only

on touch and the care she receives from her family. Even at a young age, I was always willing to

miss out on the fun to make sure she was safe and let her know that there was somebody there to

have fun with as well. I always felt happy and obliged to help anyone in need, and I think it is in

my nature to. When she was diagnosed with cancer during my childhood, I knew that I wanted to

allocate all my time to go see her and give her the hospitality she needed. I got so used to

providing hospitality that, with my nature to help people, I wanted to go into the health field

when I was older. All the while, my mother had a horrible accident at work, falling on dry ice,

and crushing her spine. To this day, she has not been able to recover fully due to chronic back

pain and damaged nerves in her legs. However, with that same passion to provide hospitality to

anyone that needs it, I did everything I could to make sure my mother didn’t have a lot on her

plate at home.

I knew that I wanted to go into something related to health and hospitality, however, I

wasn’t sure what. However, if there is something that comes out from this, it is that people in

your community have a really big influence on callings. Throughout my childhood and even

throughout my high school years, I had stuck with the same dental office through all my check-

ups and appointments. There I would meet dental hygienists whom I would form long-term

friendly relationships with. I was never afraid to go to the dentist and enjoyed the company of

friendly dental hygienists who strive to create fun out of something nerve-wracking. There was a

specific Indian pediatric dentist who shared common interests and great memories with, and that

was Dr. Chowdhury. Every time I would go to the dentist, he would always bring smiles to
everyone he meets and talks to. He was the kindest and most humble person I have ever met and

is probably the reason I wanted to go into the dental field.

Once I told him that I have an interest in dentistry, he knew that he made an impact on

me that nobody could have other than him. He told me about his stories as a pediatric dentist, and

how he also met some amazing people that inspired him to pursue dentistry. He taught me things

during cleaning procedures and how the office works. He allowed me to inspect cleaning utensils

and learn things like computer software that allowed them to analyze patients’ x-rays. I told him

that I want to be the person that influences people and makes an impact on a patient’s life. That

was when he and I both agreed that being a dental hygienist plays a perfect part in that purpose.

Throughout my time at Loras, I would partake in a CNA class for my January term. This

only solidified my path towards a health career, seeing that my actions have made an impact on

the people I cared for. My heart was already set out to pursue dental hygiene, however, and this

was just a steppingstone to improve myself to becoming the best I could be. Then, Covid-19 hit

which was a very tough time for me for completing my goals. I was already an average student

in my first year. When the lockdown was mandatory and I was studying online for a year and a

half, I was halted from being involved with the community around me in Loras and the dental

field. I lost my sense of purpose and felt burnt out, even when the workload was less heavy

before the pandemic struck. Now, I am trying to get back on track, getting involved with my

community and the people that once inspired me to become a dental hygienist. It has been tough,

and academically I don’t think I can recover before I graduate. However, I know that I will never

give up and I know people are counting on me to become what I have been planning on being.

They want to see me succeed, and I want to as well.

 This has been my journey toward my vocation. The people I have met, the obstacles I

have faced, and the things that set my heart ablaze with passion; all shaped what I wanted to do

with my life and how I want to impact others. My reflection on my journey and the things that

shaped my identity and molded my vocation inspired me to do what I find joy in. My path is not

set in stone, and there is no knowledge of what can happen in the future, but whatever happens, I

hope I can find inspiration and inspire others to find their path and become the person they want

to be.