Palmer alumni shine on the pageant stage.
“I asked for a microphone — God gave me a megaphone,” says Kanema Clark, D.C. (`12).
Recently named Mrs. Jamaica International, that’s how Dr. Clark reflects on her journey across the pageant stage. And she’s not alone. As the current Mrs. American, fellow Palmer College of Chiropractic graduate Tiffany Thornton, D.C. (`12), has transformed pageantry into a platform for purpose. What began as curiosity has become, for both women, a powerful extension of their shared calling: to champion chiropractic, wellness, and service far beyond the walls of their clinics.
For Dr. Clark, chiropractic was a calling, and Palmer became the foundation for her success. “Palmer was there before everything,” says Dr. Clark. “The school and the philosophy I learned there shaped how I think as a clinician.”
Dr. Clark also credits the College with supporting her passion for service, which extends across all aspects of her life. “Palmer trained me clinically, and motherhood refined me as a leader,” she says. “There’s no such thing as two separate lives. The same values run everything I do.”
As Mrs. Jamaica International, Dr. Clark uses her visibility to advocate for proactive, nervous-system–centered care and community service. “Pageantry amplified the message,” she explains. “It allows advocacy for wellness, prevention, and leadership in places where true health care doesn’t always happen.”
Through The Avoda Project, the nonprofit she leads with her husband, Dr. Clark brings health resources and dignity to underserved communities in Jamaica, Cuba, and the U.S. “Advocacy starts with education,” she says. “Chiropractic is about restoring function and hope.”
Dr. Thornton began her pageant career more than 20 years ago, and competitions have followed important milestones and changes in her life ever since. Pageantry became a proving ground for resilience during graduate school and times of personal upheaval. “I attended Palmer’s campus in Port Orange — it’s like a family down there,” Dr. Thornton says. “The faculty had my back personally and professionally during a difficult time in my life.”
Now Mrs. American 2025, Dr. Thornton represented the United States at Mrs. World this winter, where she took home a fourth-place honor. “Pageantry exposes, expands, and celebrates your capacity,” she says. “You find your voice.”
That voice now champions chiropractic, compassion, and hard conversations about health, abuse awareness, and identity. Through her work with Compassion International, Dr. Thornton sponsors 71 children worldwide, with a goal of reaching 1,000. She has also authored three children’s books focused on core identity.
Drs. Clark and Thornton know each other well. Both Palmer Florida graduates, Dr. Clark was a teaching assistant while Dr. Thornton was a student, and the two have since connected through professional circles and on Dr. Thornton’s podcast. Together, they exemplify how Palmer graduates act as leaders far beyond the walls of the clinic.
Advice from two pageant winners
“Take a chance. I did my first pageant because my sister dared me! What started as a sisterly joke has become a transformative part of my life. You never know where meaning will come from.” — Tiffany Thornton, D.C. (`12)
“Look for opportunities to lead. Our College made us masters of our craft and uniquely prepared us for leadership roles. Step in when the time is right and make a difference for your patients and the causes that matter to you.” — Kanema Clark, D.C. (`12)
