The last 15 months of my life have been... in a word... a blur. Really. I've said it a thousand times and I'll say it a million times more; I cannot believe that its over (well almost... 1 week from tomorrow is the last day!).

Yesterday was filled with graduation festivities. First pinning, then graduation. I didn't shed one tear, but I came pretty darn close when my good friends Dania and Kara were giving their speech. They were going through all of the students in our group and saying something about them that they will never forget. When Dania said my name and started talking about how I acted that first day of clinic... (which was much like a deer in the headlights)... my eyes swelled up with tears... tears from both laughter and pure amazement at the progress that I have made-really all of us in the program... 

I remember that first day of clinic like it was yesterday. Not much less than a year ago, I was in my first dental materials lab, sitting by Dania and Shalyn. We had only a few hours before our first, real clinic session. That's right. First real appointment. I would be playing dental hygienist and there would be some man, whom I had not ever met before, playing patient. Oh wait. Except we weren't playing anymore. It was real life. I was really about to provide a professional dental cleaning  for a real, living, breathing person.

I was in a daze all through that first class... and lunch... and during our "focus" (something we do before and after every clinic session to tell our instructor and fellow classmates what our goals are for the day, and what actually happened). Seriously. I had like... one bite of my pickle-I was so nervous! I couldn't eat at all. But I remember after meeting my patient, that first patient of mine, all worries and stresses went away (momentarily). He was so nice- I was so blessed! Even though it took me forever, he was nice/patient at every appointment (the fact that it took me 4, 3.5 hour appointments to clean this mans mouth boggles my mind-seriously-what did I do for 14 hours?). 

Yesterday as Dania poked fun at me, I was reminded about how far I've come, how far we've all come!

I remember like it was yesterday being at Sea World with Dar and Chelle and Erica when I found out that I could apply to Rio (my finger-print clearance had come through). How could I forget the day my mom called me at work to tell me that there was a rather large envelope addressed to me from Rio Salado College, School of Dental Hygiene. I made her open it and read it to me. I remember thinking, "Oh my gosh. There is WAY too much paperwork, too many rules, too many assignments to stay afloat! I will never feel comfortable with patients! How will I, Tori Wadsworth, ever get to where THEY [the second years] are?"

Of course I was not the perfect dental hygiene student or fellow classmate. I did not put 110% into my studies, and I was no longer the straight-A student I was used to being... I didn't really open up to everyone till 3rd semester, and I know I didn't become super close friends with a lot of my classmates. Regardless, I still feel close to them. We all just went through a rigorous program together. We all had the same assignments, same patient requirements, same ridiculous projects, same board examinations... We've been through it all together. Despite all of the drama that may or may not have happened, I love every single girl + Kyle in my class! Seriously. To any of you who have read this- I love you and I wish you the best of luck! We did it! Sure enough, we all got to where those second years were! 

Shoot- we are down-right LEGIT RDHs!