D.C. Student, President of Chiro One Entrepreneur Club

โ€œExamining the Business Aspect of Chiropracticโ€

Melissa Castaneda and her older brother grew up in Grayson, Georgia with their parents who immigrated to America from Mexico before she was born. Castaneda is a first-generation college student, the first of the family to not only go to college but also pursue even higher levels of education as a D.C. student at Life University (Life U).

Castaneda attended Georgia Gwinnett College for her undergraduate degree, graduating with a B.S. in Exercise Science. While in attendance there, she had a position as a Community Outreach and Chiropractic Assistant at Goodman Chiropractic Clinic. This experience and the knowledgeable professionals that she worked with inspired her to pursue Chiropractic as a career.

โ€œWhen I chose Life U, I think it was multiple factors. One, my mentor is an alumnus. But also, I started to look at other schools, and when I came to LIFE Leadership Weekend (LLW), I resonated so much with the philosophy that Life U has versus other schools, that I think many schools lacked. I didnโ€™t even know at the time that the philosophy was so different between schools,โ€ said Castaneda.

The principles of Vitalism that Life U is built on really made an impression on Castaneda.

โ€œI think growing up, I always had those values. I had just never put a title to it, to those beliefs,โ€ elaborated Castaneda.

A strong sense of community is another important quality that Castaneda has found here at Life U.

โ€œEveryone is so willing to help you, whether itโ€™s your professors or students. Itโ€™s a team effort,โ€ said Castaneda.

The campus is also a welcome backdrop, and she loves the fact that students โ€œcan feel like theyโ€™re hiking on campus and the sense of that Georgia feel.โ€ And finally, the opportunity to engage with dynamic clubs and organizations at Life U in order to support understanding beyond the classroom environment is something of which Castaneda has taken advantage. Castaneda has enjoyed learning and growing as a member of several student groups on campus. Currently, she serves as President of the Chiro One Entrepreneur Club.

โ€œI knew that I was missing a big part of what comes after school โ€“ the business aspect,โ€ explained Castaneda. โ€œA lot of us donโ€™t really want to think about โ€˜Where are we going to work? Are we going to associate or start our own practice?โ€™ And those are scary thoughts for me personally, so I started going to [the Chiro One Entrepreneur Club], as I want to just learn a little bit more about this type of stuff.โ€

She found that she enjoyed the sense of community fostered by the club, that in fact it was more than a place just to receive useful business facts. Personal development and helping students to identify their goals play a key role as well. Castaneda has found that much of what she has learned in the Entrepreneur Club actually serves her well in many real-world situations, both chiropractic-related and in basic day-to-day relationship building.

Castaneda has not intended to become president of the club, but her peers saw her interest and dedication and encouraged her to take on this leadership role.

โ€œI get to work on my why and my purpose and to develop that,โ€ said Castaneda.

 

 

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