The lyric “…sometimes the fire you founded, don’t burn the way you’d expect” from Olivia Rodrigo’s song “Can’t Catch Me Now” embodies the inescapability of legacy and the limits of our control over our legacies. When I listen to it, I reflect on what I want my legacy to be as a student, future dental hygienist, and person. I started my journey to become a registered dental hygienist in part due to the lasting impact of medical professionals who have cared for me. Through the relationship between the perpetrator and victim depicted in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, Olivia explores both the positive and negative ways a person can affect another person. While I am sure no healthcare provider wants to leave a legacy of fear, some of my healthcare experiences had that effect on me, as the process of diagnosing and treating my disabilities was long, complicated, and painful. Some of these experiences also contributed to my decision to join the healthcare field. I can see now that despite the negative experiences, the intentions of those who cared for me were positive. However, similar to Olivia’s lyrics from “Can’t Catch Me Now,” we can’t set expectations for our legacy and expect a person to remember us positively just because our intentions are positive. This makes me think about the type of dental hygienist I am in the process of becoming. I must strive to have a positive impact on all my patients while recognizing the limits of my control and understanding that my actions can shape a patient’s perception of dental hygiene and dentistry long after the appointment ends. I think of a time when I went to my college’s writing center when I was completing my prerequisites for the dental hygiene program, and I ran into the first friend I ever made in the United States when I moved here as a child. She had a profound impact on my life by helping me navigate a new country and culture, and her legacy is part of me. For some reason, when I saw her, I wasn’t sure whether she would remember me in the same way. I was surprised when she felt I had a major impact on her life as well. Even though this experience was entirely positive for both of us, it speaks to the lack of control we have over the impact we leave on others. You can control your intentions and actions, but you don’t control how other people remember or are affected by you. While the song emphasizes the limits of our control over our legacies, it also shows the importance of using the influence we do have to create trust rather than fear. In the lyrics “you can’t catch me now, I’m higher than the hopes that you brought down,” Olivia Rodrigo reminds me of the triumph of overcoming the fear created by negative experiences. While some healthcare workers negatively influenced my perception of the healthcare field, many others have been instrumental in my care and have inspired me to become a dental hygienist. I want to have a positive impact on my patients and represent dental hygiene care as a safe and essential part of taking care of your overall health. These lyrics remind me that the opportunity to help patients who have previously had negative experiences or perceptions about dental hygiene care is a great honor. Although I cannot control the legacy I leave behind, I can choose to build it through compassion, trust, and care for every patient I serve.