Parker University is proud to be the chosen educational institution for students of all backgrounds, goals, and skill sets. Current student Kristine White started at Parker University in November of 2020 to pursue an undergraduate degree in Strength and Human Performance. She is set to graduate in April of 2024 with her bachelor’s degree while concurrently enrolled in Parker University’s Doctor of Chiropractic program, which she started this past August.
Life After an Injury
After suffering a military injury, Kristine was told sports would be limited in her future. She began utilizing Para-Cycling and Para-Triathlon to continue pursuing fitness and was soon introduced to Para-Snowboard. After numerous training camps and countless hours of hard work to develop as a full-time athlete, it was announced that Para-Snowboarding would be part of the Paralympics. Today, while a Parker University student, Kristine remains a Paralympic hopeful, pursuing her dream to qualify and compete in the Games!
Training to Advance
Kristine was formerly a patient at Parker University’s Synapse: Human Performance Centers (now Parker Performance Institute) before the pandemic started in 2020. “I came down primarily for the complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) issue with my right ankle. However, many of the issues I was having were linked to old untreated concussions,” she shares.
Kristine dealt with head, neck, and back issues after her first car crash in 2008, and she was introduced to chiropractic as an effective means to deal with the trauma. Having a rotated C1 and C2 and several other issues, chiropractic was the tool that helped her get back on her feet and back to work.
Why Parker University?
In 2011, Kristine was traveling, and the flight she was on became highly turbulent. “I had gotten up to use the restroom, and we hit a pocket of turbulence. I slammed my head into the overhead,” Kristine shares. “I ended up with a migraine and was introduced to Dr. William E. Morgan. There was no more headache about 30 minutes later. I stayed in touch with Dr. Morgan, who later told me about Synapse and the team’s impressive advances. My drive to become a chiropractor wasn’t set in stone until after my time at Synapse in 2020.”
Ms. White continues, “I was at a crossroads in my life, dealing with side effects of numerous concussions, being in a career I was unhappy with, and dealing with CRPS from a military injury that had gone untreated and misdiagnosed.”
As soon as she heard that Parker University was going to have a Strength and Human Performance program, Kristine knew that was the path she wanted to take. “It was a path to get me to the DC program. Through this, I can eventually pursue functional neurology and work with athletes and veterans dealing with challenges that PTSD, TBI, and any other issues that functional neurology can benefit,” she says.
Goals for the Future
Once Kristine finishes her degree and passes her boards, she wants to work in Northwest Indiana, Chicago, or Texas. There are currently several clinics she would like to partner with and continue shadowing as she continues her time at Parker University.
What is Kristine most proud of? “Carrying a 3.97 GPA after sustaining as many concussions and TBIs as I have!” she says. “I’m very thankful for everything that Parker University has given me as a student and how these things have contributed to my recovery from TBIs and concussions. God provides, even when you’re not looking for the open door. Synapse was my door to Parker University. Once I was here, it became a very different motivation – one that meant proving everyone wrong who said I would never finish school, let alone get my doctorate and or my master’s degree.”
Parker University is incredibly proud of all its students and is honored to share their unique stories as they venture down their roads to success. Learn more about Kristine and her journey as a Paralympic hopeful at kristinewhitesnowboard.com.
Click here to learn more about Parker University’s Strength and Human Performance program. For more information about its Doctor of Chiropractic program, click here.
About Parker University
Parker University, the fourth-fastest growing college in Texas and the fastest-growing college in Dallas, was founded in 1982 by Dr. James William Parker (formerly Parker College of Chiropractic). Today, Parker University has more than 2,100 students and more than 35 academic programs, including its famed chiropractic program, as well as master’s degrees in clinical neuroscience, strength and human performance, and functional nutrition. Currently, Parker University’s chiropractic cohort is the second largest of any campus in the world. Parker University has been recognized as an Honor Roll Institution by Great Colleges to Work For®, one of the 25 Fastest-Growing Colleges in the U.S., as a recipient of the FutureEdge 50 Awards, and as a Best Texas Online College of 2023 by Forbes.
