Graduation Year: 1997
Current Location: Lexington, South Carolina
Years in Practice: 25
How do you stay connected to Sherman College? To stay connected, I attend Lyceum and take continuing education classes offered by Sherman. I also stay active by being a ROAR doctor and an Alumni Association member.
Most Memorable Classmate: My most memorable classmate was Sal Balakrishnan.
Favorite Sherman College Instructor: If I had to pick a favorite, it would have to be Bill Decken. When I was trying to get established in Miami, Florida after graduating, Bill sent me an encouraging card with the words, FAITH, FOCUS and FOLLOW THROUGH. It was great words of wisdom, and exactly what I needed to hear at that time!
Fun Memory: The first time I came to Sherman for Lyceum, I signed up for Career Day, and I met a student who was the career guide on the bus ride from my home state of Pennsylvania. It put me at ease being able to talk with him on the ride because, when I was a student, I decided to be a career bus guide for the Pennsylvania and New Jersey area. However, I should have known we were in trouble when the driver asked me for directions on how to get through the Philly Turnpike. We got through that only to have the bus overheat, requiring the driver to have to fill the radiator with water frequently. One time he forgot to put the cap back on, and we were back on the side of the road. At that point, the visitors were getting a bit concerned. If that was not enough, we got a flat tire, but it was on the inside tire of the bus’s dual tires. Then, unbelievably, we came across a garage that worked on trucks and buses. By the time we got to the hotel in Spartanburg, it was midnight!
Favorite Lyceum Memory: Every Lyceum is a favorite memory to me. It is like when we had assemblies in school, but it goes on for a couple of days. They inspire you, prepare you and ground you to focus on the big picture of transforming lives through Chiropractic! Lyceum is like coming home again!
What has been the best improvement to Sherman you have seen since you were a student? The renovations to the old building and the new Drs. Thom and Betty Gelardi Student Center. They make such a statement of the commitment Sherman College has to excellence in keeping up with the accelerated times we live in.
What would you like to see for Sherman College?
I would like to see Sherman College continue to stay true to form as an oasis for learning the Art, Science, and Philosophy of Chiropractic. I also hope that it does not lose that close-knit family feeling that Sherman is! When I was at Sherman with only one building, the focus was to prepare passionate, competent, and service-oriented chiropractors who desired a subluxation-free world and I hope that it will stay that way. I believe it will!
