Growing Up at Clarkston Family Dental
I am a Millennial. I am sure you’re conjuring up different connotations of “Millenials” in your head right now, but one of my favorite characterizations of “Millenials” is that we truly value a positive and supportive work environment, to the extent that we are not afraid to keep starting over to find that perfect workplace.
With that said, this year marks my 21st anniversary with Clarkston Family Dental. Yes, you read that correctly. In a world where the average tenure of a Millennial is 3 years, I have officially surpassed the ‘two decades’ milestone.
I started at the office in July 2005, the summer before my senior year at Clarkston High School (don’t do the math; I’ve been 25 years old for a long time now) and continued working at the office through high school and while I attended Oakland University. Upon graduating from OU in 2012, I wasn’t sure what was next for me, as a degree in Communications and Women and Gender Studies didn’t exactly point me directly to a career in the medical field.
Lucky for me, the office found itself in a transitional period at this time as well, with many senior staff members achieving their retirement. When Dr. Foster, the owner of Clarkston Family Dental, mentioned that we needed to find someone to step into the office management role, I said, “I can do it!”. And the rest is history.
My family, friends, coworkers, and anyone else I’ve ever encountered will all vouch that I am a very stubborn, strong-willed person. If you ask for my opinion, you’re going to get it. If something’s wrong, I am going to make it right. I don’t pacify and I don’t choose the easy road for self-preservation. I value my work, my family, and my personal and professional growth, and I will only put myself in situations where those values are respected and reciprocated. Work environment and culture are extremely important to me. I am a Millenial, after all.
That is why I am grateful, each and every day, that Dr. Foster gave me the opportunity 21 years ago at his office to grow (up), to learn (sometimes the hard way), and to give me the space over the years to do some things right, but many things very, very wrong, and allowing that to be a part of our journey together. I am blessed to be in a workplace, and a part of a work family, where my values are supported, where I feel appreciated, and where my successes and failures are embraced as I continue to learn and grow each day.
I know what you’re thinking, I am romanticizing the idea of “work”. Of course I am! But as much as I would love to be at home every day cuddling with my husband and our fur babies, I would not feel whole without the amazing relationships that I have formed over the years at Clarkston Family Dental. Also, I haven’t won the lotto so it takes early retirement off the table….for now.
Not only do I write this with the hope that my ingratiating earns brownie points from Dr. Foster, but I also hope that if anyone else finds themselves in a “now what?” moment in life, I have been there. There are amazing opportunities, employers, and workplaces out there- you just need to find the one that’s right for you. It’s great to be a Millennial, to not be afraid to keep on trying until you find your “work home” that supports your values, goals and growth. I consider myself extremely lucky for the timing that led to my employment at Clarkston Family Dental, but opportunity is born from effort and sticking to your convictions. If it weren’t for the environment provided by Dr. Foster and the relationships that I have forged with the staff and patients of Clarkston Family Dental over the years, I would not have seen my 21 year anniversary, and because of those very things, I look forward to celebrating 21 more (unless I win the lotto).
