Success Profiles

Success means different things to different people, but to most it means doing what you truly love to do and making a good living at it. Being a Sherman graduate means you have the opportunity to define your own level of success in your career. For some, that means helping others realize their health and performance potentials, being your own boss, setting your own hours, accepting leadership roles within your community and the profession or perhaps meeting or exceeding your practice volume and financial goals.

Success comes in all shapes and forms, and it is defined in many ways. Here are some stories about just a few of our alumni who have found success in chiropractic. Perhaps one of them is your neighbor, your inspiration, your role model.

Profiles will open on a separate page.

Helping More Students Choose a Chiropractic Career Dale Friar, D.C., ’82, Mount Pleasant, SC Dr. Dale Friar feels it’s important for young people considering to understand that it can be challenging and require great focus to open a practice and be successful right away. But he also wants them to know how rewarding their work can be. That’s why he’s willing to devote his time to career sessions and allow prospective students to shadow him read more	Dale Friar, DC
Finding a Need and Adapting to Meet It Evan Cohen, D.C. '87, Columbia, SC A former Division III college football player at Brooklyn College, Dr. Evan Cohen naturally gravitated toward meshing his interest in sports with his passion for chiropractic. He is now in his fourth season as the official team chiropractor for all University of South Carolina athletes and is considered a valuable member of the support staff. read more	Evan Cohen, DC
Making Her Family Proud Valerie Pennacchio , D.C. '90, Auckland, New Zealand Her influence is far-reaching. Her work makes a difference in the lives of thousands. Valerie Pennacchio, D.C., is quite possibly one of the most influential women in chiropractic education today. Pennacchio credits Sherman College with igniting the passion that inspires her read more	Val Pennacchio, DC
Animal Adjusting: Karla Christy Finds Her Niche Karla Christy, D.C. '98, Salisbury, North Carolina It’s not that Karla Christy doesn’t like people. It’s just that she really likes animals. The 1998 Sherman graduate became a chiropractor because she wanted to work with animals, and she has successfully paired her passion for horses with a practice that continues to grow read more	Karla Christy, DC
Making a Difference Wherever She Goes Marlene Mahipat, D.C., '01, Randallstown, Maryland One morning she wakes up and decides this would be a good day to feed the homeless. Her dark blue Honda CRV loaded with care packages, she drives around downtown Baltimore looking for those in need of this gift from the heart. With “typical” days like these, it’s no wonder Dr. Marlene Mahipat has been honored with award after award for read more	Marlene Mahipat, DC
Ready for Success Simon Senzon, D.C., '99, Ashville, North Carolina Success is something that Simon Senzon understands — and he has always had a plan for achieving it. Within five years of graduating from Sherman College in 1999, he developed a thriving chiropractic practice and published five peer-reviewed articles and two books. read more	Simon Senzon, DC
Do What You Love Kurt Oetjens, D.C., '97, Monroe, Michigan Kurt Oetjens believes that when you do the thing you love, all the pieces fall in place for you to be successful. He certainly is a role model for that way of thinking. Oetjens' passion for chiropractic permeates his office and is the key to his success. "I'm a total referral based practice," read more	Kurt Oetjens, DC
Knocking on the Door to Success Rick Hellman, D.C., '01, Louisville, Kentucky Shortly after graduating from Sherman in 2001, Hellman began a simple but effective outreach initiative of going from door to door in neighborhoods near his office to introduce himself and encourage his neighbors to investigate chiropractic care. read more	Rick Hellman, DC
Of Service During National Tragedy Nick Senuta, D.C., '81, Latrobe, Pennsylvania Nick Senuta, D.C., of Latrobe, PA, is one of several Sherman alumni who took time away from his busy practice to provide chiropractic services to volunteer workers during a national tragedy. His involvement in the aftermath of the 9-11 terrorist attacks has touched read more	Nick Senuta, DC
Her Creativity Abounds Nalyn Marcus, D.C., '90, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania Nalyn Marcus, D.C., lives in Bethlehem, PA, where she not only practices in her family clinic, butalso spends a large part of her time thinking of ways to support other moms in chiropractic. Marcus is known for her creative ideas and has read more	Nalyn Marcus, DC
At Home Even Away From Home International Speaker Also Serves as Leader Dick Plummer, D.C., ’79, Boiling Springs, South Carolina Dick Plummer, D.C., has appeared on more than 600 radio and television programs throughout the country discussing chiropractic and health and has addressed laymen and professional groups in the United States, Canada and Europe. To say he is comfortable in front of an audience read more	Dick Plummer, DC
His Practice Has Gone to the Dogs... Cats and Horses Too! Randy Baze, D.C., ’83, Renton, Washington A 1983 graduate of Sherman College, Randy Baze,D.C., practices in Renton, WA, where in addition to his human patients, he has a large number of animal patients. read more	Randy Baze, DC
It’s in the Serving that He’s Fulfilled New Jersey Native Finds His Niche in Argentina David Serio, D.C., ’99, Buenos Aires, Argentina David Serio, D.C., ’99, of Fairfield, NJ, will tell you that packing up and moving to a country 5,000 miles from home isn’t all glamour and smiles even though he had a colleague read more	David Serio, DC
American D.C. Making a Difference in Holland He Found His Purpose in Life at Sherman College Adam Gentry, D.C., ’00, Holland Now that he knows better, Adam Gentry, D.C., ’00, wishes his first encounter with chiropractic had been more meaningful. As an eight-year-old read more	Adam Gentry, DC
If Two Heads Are Better Than One, Three Might Be Best Gary Roeben, D.C., ’01, Brian Rutecki, D.C., ’01 and Sam Wang, D.C., ’01, Chicago, Illinois There’s an old saying that two heads are better than one. These three 2001 Sherman College graduates decided that if two were better, then three read more	Sam Wang, DC, Brian Rutecki, DC, Gary Roeben, DC
Add my story Individuals who wish to recommend a colleague for inclusion on the True Success page should contact the Alumni Office to discuss the possibility. Due consideration will be given to all requests, however, not all requests can be honored. Before you nominate a graduate be prepared to answer these questions— How do you define success? What makes this colleague successful?