Sherman College of Chiropractic

Fifty-Four Complete Doctor of Chiropractic Program at Sherman College

by Cheri Anderson-Hucks

Spartanburg, SC (12/18/2025) — Spartanburg, S.C. - Fifty-four students from across the U.S. and multiple countries received the doctor of chiropractic degree from Sherman College of Chiropractic in Spartanburg, South Carolina, on Saturday, December 13, 2025, at the college's 150th commencement ceremony, honoring graduates from the December 2025 and March 2026 classes.

"Today, we celebrate an incredible transformation. Students who arrived full of nerves and uncertainty are now ready, confident, soon-to-be-compassionate doctors of chiropractic. Over 14 quarters, you have embraced the science, philosophy, and art of chiropractic, preparing to make a meaningful difference in the world. Your dedication, perseverance, and pursuit of excellence have brought you to this moment," said Sherman President Dr. Jack Bourla. "As you begin your professional journeys-here in Spartanburg, in your hometowns, or across the globe-you carry forward Sherman's proud 52-year legacy. You are ready. You have earned the title of doctor of chiropractic, and we could not be prouder. We are so grateful that you chose Sherman College. Congratulations, graduates, and welcome to the profession!"

Students were recognized throughout the ceremony for academic honors, outstanding service and volunteerism, clinical excellence, and exceptional distinction in philosophy. Claudia E. Seay, D.C., director of the Sherman Student Clinic and professor of Clinical Sciences, delivered a heartwarming address, offering memorable advice to the DC2Bs, taken from her 30-plus years of service to Sherman.

The student farewell addresses to classmates were given by Maggie Mehaffey for the December 2025 class and Arianne Colabella Hawke for the March 2026 class.

This Academic Achievement Award is given to the individual in each graduating class who maintains the highest GPA throughout their studies at Sherman while completing almost 5,000 hours of graduate study. The award recipient for the December class was Maggie Mehaffey, who graduated summa cum laude with a 3.864 GPA. For the March class, in a historic moment, three graduates from the same class received the award: Schuyler Benjamin, Sadie Limback, and Caitlyn Rodefer, all graduating summa cum laude with a 4.0 GPA.

The Service Distinction Award is given at graduation only when a student has made substantial and notable service contributions in three key areas throughout their time at Sherman: the college, the local community, and the chiropractic profession. This award honors individuals who go above and beyond, showing a strong commitment to service and excellence at Sherman. It celebrates their dedication and influence within the academic setting and the wider community. This year, three recipients were recognized, each known for their high level of campus service as selfless volunteers for both on-campus activities and community outreach efforts. The award winners included Arianne Colabella Hawke, Sophia Sherman, and Katherine Siebert.

The Clinical Excellence Award honors interns' successful practices at the Sherman College Chiropractic Center, the college's on-campus center. Under the supervision of licensed doctors of chiropractic, student interns care for patients, providing more than 31,000 patient visits per year to local community members. This award is given to an intern in each class who has diligently worked to develop skills in the science, philosophy, and art of chiropractic, maintained, at a minimum, an A average throughout their internship, excelled in all phases of clinical practice from technical skills in the examination and care of patients to showing strong respect and consideration of patients, and encouraging good health practices including lifetime spinal care. The recipients have attended more than the required number of patient visits, cared for their patients with great skill and extraordinary compassion, been exemplary in their concern for patients' time, and made informing patients of valuable principles an integral part of their practice. The recipient in the December class was Maggie Mehaffey, and the recipient in the September class was Noah Bearden.

The B.J. Palmer Philosophy Distinction Award is presented only when a student distinguishes themselves in scholarship, leadership, and service to represent chiropractic's philosophical base to their peers, profession and the public. Recipients demonstrate these areas by winning scholarships and by introducing and helping others better understand the underlying philosophy and principles of chiropractic, as reflected in their going beyond the curriculum and graduation requirements. Because philosophy provides a foundation that drives chiropractic science and is expressed through the art of adjustment, this award is especially significant when presented to a deserving student. The recipients of this award were Arianne Colabella Hawke and Sophia Sherman.

Claudia E. Seay, D.C., who is the director of the Sherman Student Clinic and a professor of Clinical Sciences, delivered the commencement address, celebrating over 30 years of exceptional service to Sherman College of Chiropractic. A 1980 graduate of Sherman, Dr. Seay earned an A.S. from Cumberland College in 1976, a D.C. from Sherman College in 1980, and a B.S. from Regents College in 1988. Her extensive career includes roles as Dean of Clinics, Lead Faculty Doctor, and coordinator of the Clinic Challenge Experience since its inception in 2010. Dr. Seay will retire from Sherman on December 31, 2025, marking the end of a distinguished career dedicated to service, leadership, and the chiropractic profession. As a tribute to her years of service, Dr. Seay was presented with a framed print of the chiropractic oath, honoring her role in leading numerous graduates in reciting their final oath before entering the profession.

A guiding presence for generations of Sherman students, Dr. Seay has shepherded interns through their first patient encounters with calm leadership, compassion, and unwavering commitment to excellence. Her mentorship has helped shape thousands of future chiropractors and has become an enduring part of Sherman's legacy.

Chiropractic runs deep in her life-she was once held as a child in the arms of B.J. Palmer-and she has maintained a private practice since 1981. Dr. Seay is Advanced Proficiency-certified in the Activator Method and Webster-certified, and she has contributed scholarly work to The Journal of Chiropractic Medicine and The Annals of Vertebral Subluxation Research. Her accomplishments have been recognized with numerous awards, including the Distinguished Service Award (1988), Faculty Member of the Year (1999), Spirit of Sherman College Award (2005), and the 2013 Lifetime Achievement Award from the Sherman chapter of the League of Chiropractic Women. Dr. Seay and her late husband, John, have three children and seven grandchildren.

The following fifty-four students received the doctor of chiropractic degree from Sherman College on Saturday, June 14, 2025, at the college's 150th commencement.

Class of June 2025 Graduates:

Payton Barnhill Harajdic, South Carolina - cum laude

Daniel Jose Batista Ortiz, Puerto Rico

Justin Robert Boike, Ohio

Adam Nicholas Burd, Pennsylvania

Ciara Noelle Carbone, North Carolina - cum laude

Jewel Meadow Carraway, South Carolina - cum laude

Abigail Catherine Clift, Michigan

Matthew Jordan Danze, North Carolina

Caroline Elizabeth Estabrook, Pennsylvania

Emily Fensterer, North Carolina

Taylor Grace Gomes, North Carolina

Kate Ballard Hill, South Carolina

Eugene Ivie, Washington - magna cum laude

Clint E. Karamath, Jr., Georgia

Abigail Snow LeMarr, Kentucky

Tong T. Lor, South Carolina

Joshua C. Martinez, Illinois

Maggie Anne Mehaffey, North Carolina - summa cum laude

Ana Marguerite Malek Shabestar, Virginia

Andrew J. Shepherd, New Hampshire - magna cum laude

Joseph Christopher Slone, Kentucky - cum laude

Angela Marie Thompson, Michigan - cum laude

Class of March 2026 Graduates:

Brianna Akers, Wyoming - summa cum laude

Jeron Wayne Armstrong, Jr., Indiana

Amber Ayers, South Carolina - summa cum laude

Noah Wesley Bearden, South Carolina - magna cum laude

Schuyler Renee Benjamin, South Carolina - summa cum laude

Alexandra Thais Colon Rodriguez, Puerto Rico

Isaac David Franklin, South Carolina - magna cum laude

Hope Bethany Oosse, Colorado

Riley Gathings, North Carolina

Nathan Girao, Kentucky - summa cum laude

Connor Owen Glaza, North Carolina - summa cum laude

Arianne Nicole Hawke, Florida

Natalie Hill, North Carolina

Ethan William Jones, North Carolina - magna cum laude

Luke Michael Kapala, Michigan

Stephanie Marie Kozloski, New York

Sadie Lynne Limback, Missouri - summa cum laude

Drew Thomas London, Oklahoma - cum laude

Robert Julius Lorinc , Pennsylvania

Isaac Jon Otte, Wisconsin

Natalia S. Pardo Toro, Puerto Rico

Nicholas Gabriel Prescott, Tennessee - magna cum laude

Lydia Cherie Rose Raborg, New Mexico - summa cum laude

Caitlyn Marie Rodefer, Tennessee - summa cum laude

Sarah Ann Rozboril, Michigan

Natasha Sanchez Lopez , Puerto Rico

Olivia Paige Schreiber, New York

Sophia Nicole Duarte, Rhode Island

Katherine Nicole Siebert, Arizona

Corrina Suzanne Weihrauch, Pennsylvania - summa cum laude

Dalton Seth Wilson, North Carolina - magna cum laude

The doctor of chiropractic program at Sherman College requires students to complete nearly 5,000 hours (14 quarters) of classroom and laboratory study and includes an internship in the college's on-campus Chiropractic Center. To enter the D.C. program, students must have at least 90 semester hours of college-level coursework, including science courses.

Graduation photos are available for download via Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/199729886@N05/albums/72177720330956397

Link to the graduation video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tS8ANTYsROU

About Sherman College of Chiropractic. Sherman College of Chiropractic provides students with a comprehensive chiropractic education, preparing them to enter the field as Doctors of Chiropractic who are highly skilled, compassionate, ethical, and successful. On an 80-acre campus in South Carolina, Sherman offers a professional degree program unique in its approach and known globally for the skill and art of chiropractic delivered by graduates. The college's Chiropractic Center provides high-quality, affordable chiropractic care for families at every stage of life, from pediatric to geriatric. The center is a teaching clinic for chiropractic interns in their final stage of study before graduating from the college's doctor of chiropractic program. Coordinated by licensed doctors of chiropractic, the teaching environment enables interns to practice chiropractic under close supervision and ongoing consultation. For more information, visit www.sherman.edu or call 800-849-8771.

Media Attachments

Sherman_Graduation_Celebration-Family-A-Outside_After-12-13-25.jpg

A Sherman College graduate with her family following the 12-13-25 graduation ceremony.

Sherman_Graduates-Gelardi-Steps-DrBourla-12-13-25.jpg

Shown are the two graduating classes of Sherman College of Chiropractic – December 2025 and March 2026 – with the Sherman President, Dr. Jack. Bourla.