San Jose, California, is more than 2,500 miles from my home in Gilbert, West Virginia. When I crossed the country in 2003 to attend a chiropractic college with no more than 300 students — and just 50 in my cohort — it felt like I was taking a chance.
It was a chance that has paid off over and over again.
When I walked onto the campus of Palmer West, I had never before been surrounded by such an engaged, dedicated and collaborative community of people. It was electric. And I dove in headfirst. I immersed myself in my studies and extramural activities like softball and the Sports Council and even worked in the bookstore to make a little extra money (living in California was expensive!).
The faculty were giants. Waters. Clark. Souza. Feinberg. The list goes on and on. Our teachers were chiropractic legends, but they were also approachable, supportive and models of lifelong learning.
My time at Palmer West was life-changing, educational and fun. It was special. It was home.
After graduation, life took me back east and eventually to Florida. It was there that a Palmer West connection — Peter Martin, D.C. — told me there was a job open in the Palmer Florida Admissions Office. That led to a part-time faculty position and eventually to my current role as dean of clinics.
The most rewarding part of my job is watching the transition that unfolds in the clinic. As student clinicians work alongside faculty, learn with peers and connect with patients, they go from being students to being Doctors of Chiropractic.
Facilitating that transition is what Palmer College does. And we do it on every campus. Palmer creates a supportive atmosphere where curious, driven and engaged people can take chances and learn by doing. At Palmer, students become part of something larger than themselves, and they leave ready to make the world a healthier and better place.
This was the exact atmosphere I found when I walked onto the West campus in 2003. It is the atmosphere I entered when I began working at Palmer Florida more than a decade ago. And it is the atmosphere that has animated generations of chiropractors studying in Davenport for the last 127 years.
That’s not a coincidence. It’s Palmer College.
We are united by the spirit of exploration, positivity and excellence that spreads from coast to coast. The College is enriched by our wide network of alumni and by each new cohort of dedicated and visionary students.
Looking back, I realize that the sense of “home” I felt was not a particular place. It wasn’t a campus. It was a spirit, a community and a passion. It was Palmer.
