I had a passion for books before I entered preschool. Seeing the images, either real-life or illustrated, helped me see the depiction of the setting of the stories or how objects and people looked like in real life. From what I have learned from the books I have read throughout my lifetime, I realized they are vital in understanding how the world works and acquiring skills beneficial for the workforce and life. The books I have read have shaped my goals by understanding ways to help in adverse social situations and the importance of striving to achieve career goals. When I started school, I read books, most notably "Chicka Chicka Boom Boom" by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault, where I learned the order and the letters of the English alphabet. This learning would be beneficial when I went to other grades, college, and eventually to the workforce, where knowing how to write is crucial. As I got older and went to higher grades throughout my school education, I read longer books, such as "Wonder" by R.J. Palacio, where I became aware of seeing others, even if they do not look like ordinary people, as ordinary people, "Fahrenheit 451" by Ray Bradbury, where I learned about the time where more people were going to rely on mindless media, such as watching unbeneficial content through technology, which the author predicted to be the present time, and Animal Farm, where I gained more insight on how Communism was in Russia in the early 20th Century, despite farm animals portraying important figures in Communist Russia. In addition, some books taught me to explore different cultures and challenges when immigrating from one country to another for a better life, such as "Ask Me No Questions," by Marina Budhos. Currently, I read a Roman Catholic book on rediscovering the Roman Catholic Church. Even though I had background information on the Roman Catholic Church before diving into this book, I have gained more knowledge on the doctrine. From what I have read so far, I have made connections between what I have read in the Catholic Bible and other books. In addition, I have paid attention to how contemporary society functions and how an individual can change negative habits into better habits to improve their connection with God and the people around the community. A significant thing I learned from this book was the many philosophies surrounding the community that many people are unaware of, such as minimalism, hedonism, and individualism, and why it is crucial to draw away from these philosophies that do not positively impact our everyday lives, even though some believe that it is okay to live everyday life by abiding by these principles. Many books have influenced how I interact, assist, and learn from others. Even though I aspire to become a dental hygienist, I hope to adopt more perspectives and meet the needs of the rest of the dental team and patients to have a successful career. All of this can be possible through reading. Many books I have read throughout my lifetime have influenced me to try new things, such as accepting others who they are, learning about historical events and figures, or growing spiritually. Even though the book genres I read now are different than what I read a decade ago, I see the connection among all the book genres I have read that I commit the purpose and lessons to memory and remind myself how all of this also connects to real life. I hope to continue reading books to succeed in life.

Math connects individuals in everyday life. Whether it is adding the price of purchased items at a grocery store, calculating car payments, calculating the distance from one city to another and back, calculating the square feet of a piece of land, gathering information on a person's weight and height in pounds, making vehicles more aerodynamic, building bridges, roads, and highways, or gathering data on the prevalence of all diseases, math communicates to all people by being aware of making correct choices on what is best to do. From the time I was a toddler to today, I have exposed myself to math in many different ways. From cartoon shows for entertainment and educational purposes to everyday life activities. Now that I am in college, I am comprehending why all types of math, from simple to complex, are essential in many elements existing in the world. I love math because I like doing calculations with my head and can do so much, from the simplest to the most challenging things in life. In grade school, I did not only use math to complete homework or classwork from my math classes. I also used it, and continue to do so today, by comparing product prices from one store to another, dividing gasoline price by car gallons to determine fuel price per gallon, calculating the time it took me to do something, and many other daily activities. Now that I am in college, aspiring for a career in dental hygiene and possibly mental health, I am figuring out why these careers do not use simple math but also complex branches, such as algebra and statistics. Over time, I realized that if math did not exist, it would be difficult for people to function daily. As a first-year college student, I learned that many careers require math, such as finance, psychology, engineering, and other fields. That is why colleges require students to take math courses to understand how they use algebra, calculus, geometry, or trigonometry in their daily careers and personal lives. Even though I aspire to either a dental hygiene or a mental health career, I will expose myself to math in some way, specifically when I enter the workforce. Math is not only a school subject or a college prerequisite for any career. It is around us, and we should know when to use it properly at the right time.

In contemporary society, many Americans and people throughout the world experience some form of mental distress. Each year, mental health issues increase among the population, especially in the United States of America. Usually, this happens due to not practicing healthy coping skills for situations, such as trauma, or difficulty adapting to something new, such as going to college for the first time. Even though everyone faces challenges at some point in life, including myself, one should be aware of how to improve mental health. I believe my mental health is vital because I can have a proper way of thinking, interacting, and managing adverse situations. I have faced situations during my life, such as in preschool when I had difficulty understanding group activities, communicating with classmates, or challenging tests or projects in grade school. In many of these cases, I was not optimistic about what would result in doing these things. In middle and high school, I learned from teachers what to think instead of doing negative self-talk. Positive thinking, such as I can do this by breaking apart the big picture or I will learn from trying this challenge and making mistakes, has helped me see the bright side of things I have not wanted to do. By minimizing negative self-talk and not further drowning in the storm of adversity, what I have done, such as studying class material or asking my teacher questions when I do not understand something, has helped me in my educational journey and future when I am in the workforce, further increasing neural connections in my brain. Over time, I learned about the importance of communicating with classmates when necessary to learn about their approach to understanding a topic in class and influence productivity, which is also a helpful skill in the real world. Also, in high school, I learned about many mental health disorders, such as depression, anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and schizophrenia, and how not only an individual has one or more of these disorders but also the unhealthy actions they take, believing that they will fulfill their goal. Some examples are having an impossibly slim body or even committing suicide, which do not result in positive outcomes to end the distress. Even though society encourages these behaviors, they do not comfort the victim. Learning to talk about their feelings with others, doing hobbies they love, or exercising will restore their mental health. I took my teacher's advice after learning this. I maintain my mental wellness by writing, reading, or shopping. In addition to these activities, I enjoy eating healthy foods, which I have enjoyed since I was little. Not only do I like to eat them to receive vitamins or minerals necessary for bodily functions, but also as a way to relieve stress. Mental health is vital for my well-being because I can be more successful in reaching my goals if I take risks and effectively surpass obstacles in any adverse situation by thinking about what I can do better or what positive impact I will create. From what I learned about the importance of mental health, healthy coping strategies not only help me feel better but also not let other health conditions arise, such as elevated blood pressure. Learning about the effects of mental distress and strategies to alleviate it, one feels the difference and feels a sense of their purpose in life. From what an individual learns from their circumstances when they are young, one can see how their techniques to manage any mental health issue will benefit in other real-life situations, their overall health, and that of others.

When I was little, I recall my mom having a problem with a molar. From that moment, I thought of pursuing a career in dentistry to help my mom with her oral health. My initial purpose was only that, but now I know I can do the same thing to the rest of the people. I chose to pursue dentistry because I want to help people adopt healthy oral habits. As I got older, I understood more about the purpose of oral hygiene. In high school, I was in the dental specialty and took courses that seemed relevant to the medical field, but I later understood that there are connections with dentistry. In addition, I took classes related to dentistry, where I learned about tooth numbering, tooth structure, and radiography and their importance. During my junior year, I began the internship process by finding a dental office to gain more knowledge and see how the skills my teacher taught come into play in a real-life dental setting. I continued throughout my senior year when I began going to the dental clinic two or three times a week. My internship at a dental clinic helped me see how the dental field functions daily. It is more than treating and examining people's teeth, gingiva, and other oral structures. It is about creating a bond between the rest of the dental team and, most importantly, the patients, similar to the purpose of nursing or other healthcare careers. I realized that each healthcare career strives for everyone's well-being and learning more about people's backgrounds. Now that I am in college, I will continue learning why some subjects are necessary for dentistry and how an employee executes the pieces of college course subjects. Working in this career will not only help me learn more about healthy oral habits. I will also be able to reach more goals, such as improving health, being more productive, being more communicative, being more organized, being more perseverant in daily dental tasks, and many other improvements in other life skills. Looking back at my observations and experiences of dental careers, I understand that dentistry is vital to society. Society will always need a dental team that cares and educates about maintaining good oral hygiene. If I work in this field, I will positively impact people by encouraging them to maintain healthy oral health and working to decrease oral conditions and diseases among the population.