This is my story, a journal of a young girl unsure of what she wanted to do or be when she graduated from high school. I come from a long line of family that have served in the military; mostly Navy. My parents weren’t going to pay for college and I had 1 year left to decided what I was going to do with my life: pay rent to my parents or go serve my country. Well I was ready to spread my wings, do things on my own, make my own decisions. I signed my intent papers with the Navy in the beginning of my senior year. After a busy senior year of regular classes and night classes to ensure that I would graduate on time, the day was quickly approaching. I had a fun summer traveling with friends and family before I packed my bags and off I go.
September 1993 came and off to boot camp in Orlando Florida. I thrived holding leadership positions, graduated as one of the top 5 recruits and a pay rate increase. Next stop, San Diego, CA for Dental Tech Basic “A” School.
I have never studied so hard in my life to get through this school. Late nights studying just to stay on track with my class. After a slight set back in one of my class modules (Radiology), I finally completed school and requested to stay in San Diego. I had made it my home. I was a 12- hour drive from home to visit my parents in New Mexico. I loved it. I had friends, everything was far better than I could have imagined. I was assigned to a great Dentist to work with, I got my first tattoo, I enjoyed the beach, and my adventures during my down time were awesome. Everything was perfect.
