B.S. in Exercise Science alumna and current D.C. student, President of Alpha Delta Upsilon sorority, Life U Cheerleader

“Chiropractic Sisterhood”

 

New Orleans native Ave Marshall and her family relocated to Stone Mountain, Georgia in 2005 in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Marshall is the youngest of the family, growing up with two older brothers. She attended Stephenson High School, and after graduation, she originally had an interest in pursuing physical therapy as a career option after receiving care for a softball injury.

Marshall eventually came to the decision to study Chiropractic instead. During a school fair, she had a compelling conversation with a Life University (Life U) recruiter who shared with her about Chiropractic and how Life U is a leader in chiropractic education. This fascinated Marshall, and she wanted to learn more. Later, Marshall attended an Eagle Madness Preview Day to dig deeper and became intrigued by the cheerleading squad that she saw perform there. After speaking with then Head Cheerleading Coach Kirby Talley, Marshall was able to obtain a Life U scholarship.

Marshall joined the cheerleading squad when the squad was only a few years old. At first, the squad focused on sideline cheerleading, primarily for the basketball games. Later, the squad began participating in competitions. Each season, Life U Competitive Cheerleading travels and competes at different schools in the hopes of securing a spot in the NAIA National Championships.

“It’s going to be my last year, but I am excited to see what this season brings,” said Marshall.

Besides cheerleading, Marshall serves as President of Alpha Delta Upsilon, a chiropractic sorority. According to the Engage club description, Alpha Delta Upsilon’s mission is “to promote a culture of women’s empowerment among its members and to spread this culture to others on Life University’s campus. The sorority empowers by educating students about the philosophy behind principled Chiropractic and its application to the vitalistic lifestyle.”

“That’s what I really love about the sorority, the sisterhood aspect. That’s where that love comes in. That’s kind of a cliché answer, but this is really where I found my place on this campus. […] I didn’t really know where to fit in, but the sorority helped me,” said Marshall.

Her experiences with Alpha Delta Upsilon have also helped her better prepare to become a chiropractor, as it exposes her more to how the female body might feel different in adjustment as opposed to a male patient.

“Learning from a woman and feeling confident in what I am doing is what I gained from this sorority,” elaborated Marshall.

That sense of accountability and community has helped Marshall to succeed in school and hopefully created a strong foundation for her to build upon in the future.

 


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