Category: Community

Current or most recent title and employer?
Owner/Chiropractor; Core Performance Chiropractic P.L.L.C.

How did SC4 help prepare you?
SC4 allowed me to take college courses while figuring out what career path interested me the most. SC4 helped me determine what school would be the best to transfer to and made sure credits transferred. I always knew I’d be taking a post-graduate route, so it was a great advantage to study at SC4 while saving money on two years’ worth of credits. I also felt like I had matured personally during my two years at SC4 and felt more prepared when I transferred to MSU.

What do you like most about what you do professionally?
What I love most about my profession is being able to help people. Musculoskeletal problems affect us all at some point in our lives and sometimes it can be a serious problem that compounds over time. I really enjoy being able to team up with patients, to help them move better and to educate them on exercises or stretches that can reduce the chances of another flare-up in symptoms. While running a practice can be a demanding undertaking, it always feels worth it when patients start feeling better and achieve the goals they set on their first appointment.

Did you transfer on and earn other degrees? If so, what degrees and from where?
I graduated with my Associate of Science from SC4 in 2009 and then transferred to Michigan State University. In 2011, I graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology in 2011. I moved to the National University of Health Sciences, just outside of Chicago, in 2012 and graduated with my Doctor of Chiropractic in 2015.

Current or most recent title and employer?
Assistant Professor, East Tennessee State University (ETSU)

How did SC4 help prepare you?
I actually first attended SC4 when I was in middle school through a program that allowed me to take summer enrichment classes to earn college credit. I took courses in computers, chemistry, and philosophy. I later dual enrolled while I was a high school student. No one in my immediate family had graduated from traditional high school, let alone attended college. I was always a good student, but I did not have anyone to talk about college with or to help me navigate the process. I graduated high school with a high GPA and lots of AP and college credits, but my only plan after graduation was to work at a Denny’s. A friend later convinced me to enroll at SC4, and I am so grateful I did. I earned my associate degree a year later and transferred to a four-year institution. Attending community college was fundamental to my later academic, personal, and career success. Community colleges like SC4 can break down barriers to achievement. I am so grateful I grew up in an area that had a program as robust as SC4.

What do you like most about what you do professionally?
Education is so important to me. I grew up in a rough home environment and education has allowed me to attain things I never would have dreamed of otherwise. I recognize the potential education has to elevate others, and so I have made a career around it.

Did you transfer on and earn other degrees? If so, what degrees and from where?
I went to Central Michigan University and earned a Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education with double majors in English and History (2007). I became a teacher and earned my National Board Certification (2012). I also picked up a Master of Library Science degree from East Carolina University (2011). In 2012, I was recruited out of the classroom for a research fellowship at Michigan State University. I earned a Ph.D. in Educational Policy through that program (2017). I have pennants from every school I attended hanging on my office wall at ETSU, including one I had custom-made for SC4.