The Faculty of Dentistry at Çanakkale University began its education with 63 students, including myself, in 2018. On the path to becoming a dentist, we were developing ourselves with every piece of knowledge provided by our instructors for the well-being of our future patients. Although our classrooms, laboratories, and clinics were ready, something was missing. Something that was uniquely ours... We were waiting for the emblem to be created for our signs. An emblem is a symbol of a community. I felt the absence of our emblem even more. That evening, I eagerly started designing the emblem.

In my first attempt, even though it was amateurish, I had created a successful emblem. It featured a tooth that also held the crescent, completing it with the monument of Çanakkale's martyrs. The Crescent and the Monument... In a tiny emblem, I had encapsulated this sacred spirit within a tooth even smaller than the emblem itself. I really liked my design. I knew this design wouldn't stay with me, and I wanted to share it with my instructors. As I shared it with them, I saw my shortcomings and new ideas emerged from those shortcomings. With the suggestions of all our instructors, the emblem took its final form. Several beautiful emblems had also been designed in the Faculty of Fine Arts, and through a small competition among my instructors, my design was chosen. The next step was to present it to the senate and get it approved. At this stage, my design was approved by the university's senate, and our faculty's emblem, representing our institutional identity, was complete.

A brand new faculty was established, and I am incredibly proud to be a part of it. Furthermore, I am delighted by the pride I have given my instructors with the emblem I designed. That emblem I designed with enthusiasm and excitement is now a part of our faculty's identity. Every time I go to the faculty, every time I look at the emblem at the entrance, that sense of belonging envelops me with all its excitement. Even years later, this feeling is the most important thing I will never lose.

I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to all the esteemed instructors and dear friends who supported me on this journey. In the Çanakkale Faculty of Dentistry, which was established with great effort and countless challenges, I hope for a bright future and great achievements ahead...

Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University

Faculty of Dentistry Graduate Student

Eslem Nur Sözener