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    When I began my career as a Dental Hygienist I knew almost immediately that I wanted to be a leader in my field.  At the time, I wasn’t exactly sure what that meant in terms of my career. During that time I constantly strived to be a well rounded clinician.  I truly felt like I had a lot to offer in Dentistry and I wanted to share that passion with others. I wanted to be a leader, I wanted to help others, but I wasn't sure how.  I always thought about who I considered leaders in my field. It always came down to the same thing; my Dental Hygiene Instructors. They were leaders, that had a great deal of knowledge and all of the students strived to be like each of them in some way.  They are the future of Dental Hygiene and they are the ones who shape the students.  So, a few years into my career, I felt like I had finally found my niche, teaching.  As I work on sharing what I know and becoming a leader in my field I have found three areas that are important to me: leadership in technology, professional involvement and leadership and a focus on lifelong learning.

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    I would like to be a leader in technology within a Dental Hygiene program.  I never imagined all the technology skills I would learn as a student in the MAED program, and I would love to share that with the program I work within one day. Finding ways to integrate tech tools with the content of a dental hygiene program is a challenge that I would like to take on. I want to show other educators that there is a great place for technology within a dental hygiene curriculum and it can greatly benefit our students if done correctly. To continue to learn about integrating technology specifically within a dental program, I plan to explore more resources from the American Dental Educators Association, like this Allied Health Education Series.  This professional association provides many great resources for allied health and dental school educators.

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    In order to become a true leader in my profession it is imperative to be active in my professional organization. American Dental Hygienists Association provides support and communication among dental hygienists across the nation.  This organization gives our profession a voice and promotes the best interests of dental hygienists . Being active with ADHA  will allow me to develop as a leader and set an example for future Dental Hygienists.  Currently, I am active in the local component of our organization, the Cleveland Dental Hygienists Association. My current position is an alternate delegate, and I am hoping to move into a delegate position once I gain more experience. By holding a position on the Cleveland Dental Hygienists Association board it will keep me active in my professional organization,foster leadership skills and provide me with easily accessible opportunities for lifelong learning.

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    The last component that will complete my future goals is to put a heavy focus on being a lifelong learner.  This goal holds the most importance to me out of the three.  It can be hard to carve out time to learn new things in any area of life.  But I have come to understand the importance of continuing education and the profound effect it has on my drive and connection to other dental professionals.  Continuing my education also makes me a better educator and role model for my students, and in the end, that is what is most important to me.  To work toward this goal I plan to attend numerous continuing education courses and dental conferences similar Ohio Dental Association's Annual Session.

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    I know that my goals will be ever changing in my personal and professional life.  The goals I stated most likely will change in the future, and I’m excited about that.  That means that I have continued to learn, change and try to better myself. One thing that I know for sure is that if I pursue these goals stated above, I will become a leader in my profession. By fostering this leadership early on in my career, I know that my ability to pursue change for the better and help others will make a notable impact in the field of dentistry.