Dear Colleagues:

Yesterday, I saw a young woman in our college who had the brightest smile I've seen in years. I didn't know who she was, but she was beaming with excitement as she walked down the hallway. I had no idea why she looked so happy, but as I continued along,
one of our freshman dental students introduced her to me. I learned that on Monday she had been accepted into our DDS program, and she was in our college to pay her admission deposit.

I couldn't wait to congratulate her and tell her how pleased I was to hear this good news! I asked her where she went to college and what her major was. Still holding that same smile, she said she was majoring in biology at Ohio State. I replied that she should be
well prepared for dental school, and I wished her all the best as a freshman in our college.

Throughout the afternoon, that student's happiness stayed with me. I thought about how pleased and proud she must be, and what a great future she has ahead of her. It also occurred to me that this is the perfect time of year to have such wonderful feelings, and to get the sense that your hard work and efforts have been acknowledged. It's an amazing thing to be so excited and enthusiastic that even the people around you are affected.

Of all the things I enjoy most about the winter holidays, it's opportunities like this when we get to recognize what someone has done that is great - whether it's a friend, a colleague, a relative, a dental school applicant, or even a complete stranger. Sometimes, as it happened with this student, that acknowledgement is based on factual data such as GPA, DAT scores, letters of recommendation, and ratings on interviews. Other times, we acknowledge those around us because we are truly grateful for all they have done to help us, to make the place we work in more friendly, to inspire others to do good things, and just because they are nice.  

In this winter holiday season, my wish is that you may have a chance to share your own or someone else's great experience. Happy holidays!