Mary Elizabeth Switzer didn’t start out her college career expecting to head into the healthcare profession. The Sardis native graduated from Morgan Academy in 2000 and went to Auburn to major in English and education.

“I had a change of heart during my junior year,” she said. “I called my mother to tell her I thought I really wanted to be a nurse and she said, ‘Mary Elizabeth are you sure about this- you gage when you see a bag of clean cat litter.'”

She assured her mother she was sure and 15 years later, she is a  nurse practitioner at Selma Doctors’ Clinic.

“I find so much enjoyment in talking with patients and finding out about what they enjoy doing, where they have been and where they are going. You definitely can learn a lot from people and their life experiences,” she said. “My life satisfaction is knowing that I’m saved by the grace of Jesus Christ and that I”m just passing through this life and my eternal home is in Heaven – there’s no sickness there. I am very much human, I fail, and I’m not perfect but I serve the perfect Savior. My professional satisfaction is seeing patient’s meet and achieve their health goals. Nothing makes me happier to see a smiling patient that came to ‘brag’ about how great they are doing.”

Switzer describes her typical day as pure insanity.

“I wouldn’t trade it for anyone else’s,” she said. “I’m a wife, mother, daughter, granddaughter, counselor, referee, healthcare provider, friend, laundry washer, chef, gardener, volunteer, chauffeur and boo-boo kisser. I’m very grateful for each person attached to every one of these relationships and I love each of them dearly.

“Over the past year, I learned 98 percent of people in Dallas County are wonderful people whom want to see our community grow and flourish,” she said. “When my husband decided to run for Probate Judge last year I had no choice but to step out of that comfort zone. We knocked on thousands, I’m not exaggerating, of doors and found that we lived around and among some of the nicest and most amazing people you could ever imagine.”

Switzer believes it will take hard work to make the community better.

“It is going to take a lot of hard work,” she said. “Pride in our community and involvement from every citizen. You can’t sit back and wait for someone else to speak up, attend a meeting or roll up your sleeves – you have to jump in with both feet. We have a rich history and all the elements to be a booming, thriving city.”

She is married to Nick Switzer and they have two children: Mary Frances, 6 and Mac, 2.