Profiles in Diversity: Ryan Schroeder, T2 chiropractic student
Posted on June 17, 2005
Ryan Schroeder, T2 chiropractic, may not appear to be the picture of diversity. A small-town father of one who grew up on a farm, Schroeder may not have a background working with groups commonly thought of as “diverse”; however, he brings a unique perspective of diversity to Northwestern Health Sciences University.
As one of the recipients of Northwestern’s two 50-percent tuition reduction diversity scholarships, Schroeder hopes to expand the campus community’s views on diversity.
Why were you interested in pursuing Northwestern’s Diversity Scholarship?
I have worked with diversity issues in the past. I worked with the elderly in a nursing home and have always felt that is an underserved population. I see that as being diversity. I think of diversity has being more broadly defined — race, religion, social-economic status, age. These are all areas where we are all diverse.
In addition to working in a nursing home for nine months, I worked at a camp for children with muscular dystrophy for four or five summers. That was a really enjoyable and fulfilling experience that shaped me a lot.
How do you plan to be involved in diversity on campus?
As a diversity scholarship winner, I work with the Diversity Commission. I hope to promote diversity from a number of perspectives in that capacity.
What do you want to do after graduation?
I’d like to own my own practice in a smaller community and work with nursing homes to provide care for the elderly. I think it would be very beneficial for nursing home residents to have access to chiropractic. They are better served by having access to natural health care modalities. Utilizing chiropractic can decrease the dependence on medications. Plus, nursing home residents tend to have very few advocates.