Earning my degree at CUKC has allowed me to serve my community, and be a part of the solution to reduce access to care barriers for minorities. I further make a difference by educating future generations of chiropractors, promoting diversity within the profession, and by being a positive role model/mentor.

I have the opportunity to change lives and meet new people on a daily basis. I get to see people of all ages who are improving their health every day! I recall treating a patient who had never seen a chiropractor before. She suffered from chronic low back pain because of a car accident years ago. This patient had seen multiple providers for her condition, which resulted in very little improvement. She began to feel extremely frustrated and depressed. Chiropractic care resulted in 80 % reduction of her pain and the patient was able to return to work, decrease anxiety/depression and pain medications. She is now living a healthy lifestyle (physically and mentally).

Cleveland provided me with a career that, so far, has lasted almost 45 years. I can’t imagine doing anything else. Chiropractic really is my life. If I ever decide to retire, and I can’t see that happening soon, it couldn’t match what I’ve learned so far in my time on this planet.

A specific case when I made an impact comes to mind from my second year of practice. A 72-year-old patient came to my office with problems including: diabetic neuropathy (no feeling below the knees), back pain, fatigue, muscle weakness and much more. We combined chiropractic care, lifestyle changes, exercise and everything else I could think of, and in a year, he was functioning like a much younger man, and could drive again after more than two years without driving.

We’ve provided relief of pain as well as other symptoms we never even thought might respond to care, every day, for all these years. We can continue making a difference by educating the public and our chiropractic students. Personally, I occasionally teach postgraduate seminars to both students and fellow doctors.

Philosophy from Dr. Carl Jr., along with Parker, embedded in me the body’s healing power and the motivation to treat a multitude of conditions and people. I graduated in October 1975, and retired in 2020. Throughout that time, besides countless patients returning to health, inspiring others to become chiropractors has made a tremendous impact on my community and others. There are currently 12 members of my family who are chiropractors. Many of us treated hundreds of patients daily for decades, with associates and branch offices. Many of our staff and patients have gone on to become chiropractors also. Best guesstimates are 100 DCs have resulted from our family’s influence, resulting in hundreds of thousands of patients experiencing chiropractic care. Thank you Drs. Cleveland for your impact on our lives and the lives of so many.

Being able to create a business with the skill of chiropractic has not only fed and cared for my family, but I have had the privilege of employing many people over the years and helping to support their families. This business has been able to organize fundraisers and donate to organizations that are reaching other families across the Kansas City area and further, across the world.

Soon, another chiropractor will be working in my office. We will be able to more than double the impact on health from this one location, increasing the ripple effect. Mentorship of the future will keep chiropractic growing. The patients are getting younger. The younger generations are putting a large value on their physical health. As we build their health, we improve epigenetic outcomes for them and their children with chiropractic care.

The Doctor of Chiropractic degree received from Cleveland Chiropractic College, now known as Cleveland University-Kansas City, empowered me to create a life of independence and confidence, both professionally and financially. Many years ago, I was homeless without a high school education. With the education that I received at Cleveland, I was able to change the direction of my life forever. I have used my degree to teach at schools and other colleges. I have grown a chiropractic/natural wellness practice from the ground up with the skills obtained during school, but more from the camaraderie that comes from knowing other chiropractors who have already paved the road before us. It is a blessing to come back to the University for continuing education, and other events that build friendships with other doctors.

CUKC helped give me the foundation to continue to improve myself and start practicing confidently. My favorite moments have been working with high school athletes to keep them healthy, so they can compete in college. Working on a four-time, state-champion wrestler has been a highlight.

Cleveland set me up for success in practice. It gave me plenty of tools for the tool bag. I’m thankful for the education, and the teachers who poured their knowledge into the students.

I really took an interest in helping moms have a better birth outcome and achieve the birth plan they desired. Since starting practice using the knowledge I was given at Cleveland and the ICPA, I have helped many moms achieve their desires and wants while in labor.

My work impacts others on a daily basis. Helping moms have pain free pregnancies, helping elderly patients continue to do their everyday activities without living in pain, improving range of motion, and just overall boosting the health and well-being of patients during these stressful times!

I have a different perspective. I transferred to CUKC after going to another school. What I immediately noticed was how much better established Cleveland was! Much better instructors, and they offered the 12-trimester option. Dr. Barlett, and Dr. Gerred were awesome, caring instructors. Dr. Rickard Thomas was amazing! He was, in my opinion, the best technique instructor ever! That’s saying a lot, because I had Dr. Hugo Gibson!! He was such a blessing, too!! Dr. Nichols always helped with a reassuring smile on the clinic floor. He made us feel at ease in a very stressful time. Dr. Beckley was so great, too! He just seemed to care deeply for everyone! Dr. Lovejoy was another positive on the clinic floor. He would actually smile and cut up sometimes. Cleveland never pushed any philosophical bias! That being said, they offered a strong chiropractic base! I received an overall excellent education at Cleveland!

I impact people’s lives every day in a positive manner! Helping someone improve their health naturally is of utmost importance! I see it every day! People come in and have been hurting, or been in bad overall health for years, or decades, and if they commit to chiropractic care, I usually see positive results.

Cleveland was instrumental in developing me into the doctor I am today. I’ve had patients return to the office after care and they look like a new person. I’ve seen people who thought they had to be surgery bound for the rest of their lives, and are now independent and in control of their own lives.

Some of the biggest impacts can be the little things, like seeing someone able to walk again without a limp. Appropriate care and putting the patient first are instrumental to seeing the lives of my patients improved.

Cleveland represents the most formative years of my life. Great lessons were learned, and great friendships formed. Dr. Hugo Gibson said to me: “Down the road you can have 20 years of experience OR you can have one year of experience 20 times. You decide.” Now that I am at the 20-year mark of my career it’s never been more salient. That comment has stuck with me from day one of practice.