I am Macey Ward and I decided to apply to East Tennessee State University because I

have heard from so many individuals that this university has the best dental hygiene program. I

have chosen the profession of dental hygiene because I love making people smile while also

helping people lead healthier lives and this profession would allow me to do both every single

day.

Growing up, I loved to make people smile. From there on, I always knew that I wanted

to obtain a profession where I could make people smile every single day. The older I got, the

more I realized that the profession I dreamt of was dental hygiene.

I remember how I felt about dental hygienists when I was younger. I would sometimes

receive great advice about my teeth and how I could make sure they stay healthy. I would get in

the car after every cleaning and the first thing I would do was look in the mirror and smile.

However, I would sometimes leave a dental office having questions or concerns that I simply

did not understand about my own teeth. I would leave wondering what I was doing wrong with

my daily routine but never received a clear answer. After this, I realized that I need to be a

dental hygienist so that I can help educate others about their teeth and have an impact on my

community and the dental field. I want to know that I have a career where individuals leave

confidently smiling because I cleaned and educated them about their teeth.

I have personally encountered people that are not confident in their smile or are

embarrassed about their teeth. This only makes me want to become a dental hygienist that

much more. I want to be able to see people’s lives changed when they are no longer

embarrassed or afraid to smile because they have come to my place of work. I hope that one
day, I am in a position where I can help someone smile without feeling bad about their own

teeth when they could not before they walked through the doors of the dental office.

I dream of the day that I can be the person to help others be confident in their smile. I

want to be a dental hygienist that educates individuals about their teeth and how they can fix

and/or maintain a healthy, beautiful smile. There is so much more to dental hygiene than

seeing a beautiful smile and I want to be given the opportunity to learn all of these things.

I believe that I am a qualified applicant because I am and have been extremely

committed to my college courses so that I could be accepted into East Tennessee State

University and have the best chance of getting into this program. I am a dedicated and

determined college student and I am ready to put all of my dedication and determination into

this program so that I can become a dental hygienist. I would also like to include my thirty-five

hours of observation at ABC Family Dentistry in which I observed the most passionate dentists

and dental hygienists who deeply care for and are devoted to teaching and changing the lives of

their patients. I am sincerely grateful for the opportunity to be considered for this program and

I thank you for your time, attention, and consideration.