It is hard for me to believe that another year has come and past. The year of 2012 was filled with happiness, sadness, smiles, tears, hellos, goodbyes, and so many important life events for me. In the future, I believe I will look at this year and remember how much I was forced to grow.
As many of you know, I graduated college this year with my Bachelor's Degree in Biology from the University of Northern Iowa. I consider this one of my greatest life accomplishments to this day. The life lessons I learned in college will follow me for the rest of my life, and I would never trade the time I spent at UNI for the world. While in college I worked almost full-time between my two jobs, volunteered at my church, volunteered at the hospital, and somehow managed to balance some sort of social life. It was extremely hard at times, but I would do it again in a heart beat. The friendships I made over the past four years are some of my greatest treasures in life and I cherish the people I was fortunate to spend these years with. Some of the hardest moments of my life were spent saying goodbye to these peoples as they went on to pursue their dreams and begin their lives elsewhere. To say I miss college would be an understatement.
After graduation I accepted a full-time job with Elite Medical Scribes based out of Minneapolis, MN, working as a scribe trainer/project manager. Essentially my job is to travel to new or existing sites and train new employees to work in the hospital setting. I took this job thinking it would be the experience of a lifetime, but it has by no means been easy. I have always been a very social person and I have put my self worth in the relationships that I maintain (probably not the wisest decision). I quickly learned that a traveling position, and a full-time position at that, leaves little time to visit those you love back home. It has been one of the hardest adjustments of my life. However, I am greatful for the employment opportunity that God has granted me and I choose to believe that this job has taught me several life lessons that will make more sense in the future. I have enjoyed the opportunity to work with dozens of physicians and learn medicine directly from them. Plus, seeing a gun shot wound is never dull!
A future as a physician is still in sight. There are several twists and turns that loom in the distance, but the path is becoming more clear each and every day. I am learning that I have no cruise control or GPS for this journey and that I will have to rely on faith to direct my path. Each day presents a new challenge and a new opportunity in this journey. There are some days I wish I could see the finish line ahead, but I am learning that the journey has the potential to be just as beautiful as the end goal.
This year was also full of several memories that I never want to forget. Two of my best friends, Molly and Seth Webb, were married in May and I was fortunate enough to share in their special day. My parents celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary....what a testament to what true love really looks like. My sister and her fiance got engaged, and I look forward to their ceremony this year. I am also happy for so many of my other friends that got engaged/married this year and can't wait to see what the future holds for them.
I thank you all for the roles you played in my life over the past year. Odds are that if you are reading this you are very special to me and I hope you know how blessed I consider myself to have you in my life. I wish you all the best in this new year and hope that all of your dreams come true. It is my prayer that you will continue to grow in your faith and let God take hold of the reins as you navigate through life this year.
Happy New Year!
Preston Sereg
