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Fifty students from around the world received the doctor of chiropractic degree from Sherman College of Chiropractic in Spartanburg, SC, on Saturday, December 12, 2015. The commencement was a shared ceremony for December 2015 and March 2016 graduates.
Kevin D. McDade of Pennsylvania, recipient of the Milton W. Garfunkel Award for the December class, and Ryan Michael Burkhart of Michigan, recipient of the March class, presented farewell addresses to their classmates. The Garfunkel Award is the highest award given at graduation. Students receiving this honor must have a grade point average of 3.5 or above, and in addition, best exemplify those qualities Sherman College would like to inculcate in all of its graduates: love of the profession, an understanding of the philosophy, willingness to share, and service to the college and community.
McDade and Burkhart also both received the Academic Achievement Award for their respective classes. The Academic Achievement Award is given to the individual in each graduating class who maintains the highest grade point average throughout his or her studies at Sherman College.
Rachel Veronica Leskosky of Pennsylvania (March) and Melinda Ratcliff Hallam (March) of Tennessee were presented with the Service Distinction Award. This distinction is not given at every graduation; rather it is given to students who stand out for their significant and distinguished service contributions to Sherman College and the local community throughout their course of study.
The Clinical Excellence Award was presented to Tara Lynn Madden of California (December) and Brittany A. Maywalt (March) of Mississippi in recognition of their successful practices in the Health Center. This award is given to an intern in each class who has diligently worked to develop skills in the art, science, and philosophy of chiropractic, maintained an A average in the clinical program and exhibited superior overall clinical performance and professionalism.
Leskosky also received the B.J. Palmer Philosophy Distinction Award. This honor is given to outstanding students who exemplify the profound philosophical understanding necessary to translate the universal principles of life into the workable philosophy, science, and art which is chiropractic.
The commencement address was given by Peter J. Kevorkian, D.C., chair of the Sherman College Board of Trustees. Kevorkian and his wife, Patricia A. Giuliano, D.C., share a unique home/office family practice in Westwood, MA. Kevorkian teaches internationally on chiropractic philosophy, children and chiropractic and family practice. He is president of the board of directors and instructor for the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association (ICPA). In addition to serving as chair of the board of Sherman College of Chiropractic, he is chair of the board of the International Federation of Chiropractors and Organizations and also serves on the board of the Massachusetts Chiropractic Society. He is a 1982 graduate of Palmer College of Chiropractic.
Timothy J. Burkhart, D.C., B.C.I.M., a 1984 Sherman College graduate and father of March graduate and Garfunkel Award recipient Ryan Burkhart, delivered the charge to the graduates. He owns and practices at Burkhart & Chapp Chiropractic, PLC, in Caledonia, MI. Burkhart has been in private practice since his graduation from Sherman College, working with thousands of patients, and is a leading authority on the integration of non-surgical spinal decompression into clinical practice. He is certified in the Pierce Results System and in videofluoroscopy. He is a past practitioner and member of the board of directors for the Center for Complementary Health Care and developer, clinical director and lead trainer for HillDT Solutions, LLC, both in Grand Rapids. He continues to practice full-time while lecturing and training both nationally and internationally.
The doctor of chiropractic program at Sherman College requires students to complete more than 4,800 hours (14 quarters) of classroom and laboratory study and also includes an internship in the college’s on-campus Chiropractic Health Center. To enter the D.C. program, students must have at least 90 semester hours of college-level courses, including courses in the sciences.
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