It was not until my 12th year of highschool when I realized being normal is boring. In all of my four years of highschool, I went to a trade school and studied Dental Assisting. One of my classmates’ brothers had Down Syndrome. I always used to see people on social media with this genetic disorder, but never talked to one or met a person with Down Syndrome. Of course in class we studied what to do if a patient has a disorder, and how to handle it. We had learned that it is important to treat people like this with care, and love.

His name is Phinn, and he was only eight years old. When he came in he was shy at first, but that is mainly how everyone is when you first meet someone. As we had a class discussion, his mom told us that he was delayed getting his teeth checked because his teeth did not grow at the age it was supposed too. But as he grew older, his transformation started to happen, and the hygienists, and assistants had to be comfortable with him because he was new. In order for him to feel comfortable he watched tv, brought a toy, and even got awarded prizes for doing such a great job at the dentist, and now he loves going there.

As we were talking, this is when I finally realized that everyone is different in their own way. It is hard having a disorder, but you have to take it day by day. From this day forward, I realized being in the career path that I was in, was the route I wanted to take. Being the person I am, I love helping individuals with their needs, and meeting new people. After awhile, Phinn even started to make conversation, and we even played games in the classroom. As you make people feel like they are welcomed, it is so much better to have an amazing time with each other, rather then it being awkward.

I realized that you should never make fun of someone, always be open and honest because there are others having more of a difficult time than you. No matter the career path you choose, there is always going to be a person whose appearances are different from yours. It is up to you whether or not to be friendly. Never take anything for granted, and always be a shoulder to lean on.