For my career, I was originally planning
to teach special education and coach football
… then I had a simple conversation
with my mother. After talking with her, I
realized that I wanted to do something
different with my life. I had always been
interested in the human body and its
wonderful design. However, I never
really wanted to be a chiropractor because
I come from a family with nine children,
and I knew all of my siblings would want
free care! After getting over that obstacle—
and learning more about what chiropractic
truly is by starting school here—I
have been blown away with the wonders
that this life holds. Every day I am grateful
that I am able to “live the dream.”
I first chose Palmer because I was
intrigued by the rugby program. After
playing and coaching football, I didn’t
want to let that dream die—until I got
married and learned to think more from
the standpoint of my wife. After deciding
not to play rugby, I started to take my
choice of schools more seriously. I looked
at several other schools, talked with many
doctors and realized that Palmer would
help me to be the best Doctor of
Chiropractic that I could be.
I’m pretty involved on campus. I am
president of Campus Guides, president
of Palmer Student Alumni Foundation
(PSAF), vice-president of the Iowa Club,
and a manager in the gym, among other
things. The benefits of being so involved
are many, and I am grateful to be able
to serve in the ways that I do. Through
these different organizations, I have
learned how to be a leader and take a
stand for what is right, the necessity
of being organized, and the incredible
amount of work it takes to provide
the best education for Palmer students.
I believe that the more involved I become,
the better my experience at Palmer
will be. As in any part of life, the more
you give, the more you receive.
The biggest “wow” moment for me at
Palmer was in first trimester embryology
and is still with me to this day. I remember
watching a video in class about
embryological development, right after
learning about all of the congenital
defects and “bad” things that may
happen to a fetus, and being hit with
a sense of awe. With all of the odds
against it, how does a human develop
from what it starts as to a fully functioning
individual full of life? The odds are
stacked against each one of us, and yet
we are all able to express life in a unique
and wonderful manner. Since that moment,
I have found myself fascinated
with the innate in us all. I can say that I
now understand a little better the saying
“we are fearfully and wonderfully made.”
I have always been a big dreamer and,
until this last Homecoming, I had a lot
of stuff that I wanted to do, but I thought
that I would never be able to pursue
some of my dreams. However, after talking
with an alumnus, I began to understand
that my dreams aren’t necessarily
mutually exclusive. My wife, Angie
(who works in Admissions as the campus
visit coordinator), and I plan to move to
Des Moines and open a practice there.
Along with that, we love Palmer and
look forward to staying connected and
giving back to the school in any way
possible. We would also love to have an
impact on the future of chiropractic by
someday getting involved in politics. As
I said, we have many dreams and we are
not sure if they will all be fulfilled, but
what fun is life without having dreams?
I wake up every morning grateful that
I am a student at Palmer. This is not
only The Fountainhead of chiropractic,
it is also the pioneer of chiropractic.
Whenever I give tours to alumni,
I am always told, “I wish I would have
had all of this when I was a student.”
Not only is Palmer a pioneer in the
area of chiropractic research, it is also
a pioneer in chiropractic education.
Beyond all of the changes in the
curriculum that enhance how I learn
about the human body, the school has
implemented new ways to help me
become a better clinician. From stateof-
the-art radiology equipment to the
Palmer Center for Business Development,
I have more opportunities to grow than
anywhere else in the world. I hope that
every alumnus has the experience of
traveling back to Palmer and seeing
what is available to me and my fellow
students. I would love to give a tour
to anyone who wants to remember
what it feels like to be a student at
Palmer College.