Superheroes

As odd as it may seem, being a leader does not come naturally to me. In fact, I never thought I would ever be considered a leader in any field, let alone the passion I call my career. Growing up, I always tried to match my twin sister, because lets face it, she had the brains and I had the attention span of a gnat. She could hold a conversation with anyone, and I followed along in the shadow of her brillance, hoping for a small piece of her extrovertism to rub off on my otherwise very timid self. I was perfectly content being the kid who could make others feel better about their own confidence, even if my own suffered for it. 

That’s why the first step out the door of being an introvert is always so hard. As with any huge change in an introverts life, I don't usually adjust as quickly as what I would consider "normal folks." Veterinary school was a drastic change that nearly cost me my life. Within one year, I survived a myocardial infarction, was diagnosed with arrthymias, survived salmonella septecemia and somehow finished my first 2 years of vet school.

Several key people played a role in helping me achieve "3rd year status". Although I need to list several key family members and friends, as part of my last time calling her the "Intern", I would like to give Dr. Nikki Schweizer a huge shoutout on a post tonight. For anybody looking for an "unsung" hero to look up to, Nikki is one of those once in a lifetime mentors. Not only has she completed an academic internship at THE best veterinary school in the nation, but she decided to bring her unmatched passion back to Hickory, NC, where she will be starting her own Mobile Practice (http://www.henryrivermobilevet.com)!

One of my favorite stories with Dr. Nikki doesn't actually involve animals (*gasp*). She didn't know it at the time, but I was ready to leave the vet school after my spring semester, with every intention of finding other passions to pursue besides animals. But Instead of ignoring my somewhat obvious internal conflict, she was always ready to reignite my goals. Whether that be inviting me to help diagnose some blood work, late night cookout runs for the hospital staff, ultrasounding cattle, or even just letting me tag along for much needed "away from school" time at the dairy. Although she may not realize it yet, she changed my life, renewed my passion for veterinary medicine, and proved that not every superhero wears a cape (but Pella Green Coveralls are pretty much a necessity!)

I've learned a lot about goats, sheep, cattle and life as a DVM from her. But the best lesson I received is that heroes are never perfect, but they're brave, they're authentic, they're courageous, determined, and they've got what it takes to make a difference in this world.