By Molly Langhorst, CSC COLLEGE RELATIONS
CHADRON - Chadron State College student Morgan Ekwall is the Project Strive/TRiO Student of the Month for the month of March. She is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in human biology with plans to earn her Doctor of Chiropractic degree.
Ekwall, a sophomore from Yoder, Wyoming, said chiropractic work fascinates her.
“I think the body is really a neat thing: it’s super complex and I like to understand how it works to one day hopefully help make people feel better,” Ekwall said. “It’s just fascinating to me how much your body alignment can affect your overall health.”
Ekwall, who has been going to the chiropractor since she was in the seventh grade, said she thinks most people believe chiropractors aren’t beneficial and they are just in a money-making profession, but she believes chiropractic work is beneficial and practical.
“One of my favorite things about chiropractic work is that it’s a way to make your body feel better naturally rather than just putting drugs into your body,” Ekwall said. “My favorite chiropractic quote is: ‘Medicine is the study of disease and what causes man to die. Chiropractic is the study of health and what causes man to live,’ by B.J. Palmer.”
Ekwall said she feels confident about her choice of major even though it took her awhile to figure it out.
“When I first came to Chadron, I was focusing on chiropractic, then I thought maybe I should be an orthodontist, then I looked into athletic training before switching to focusing on becoming a physical therapy, and now I am back to focusing on chiropractic,” Ekwall said, “But I have loved the final switch ever since I made it and I am confident that being a chiropractor is for me.”
One common factor within all her career interests is improving the health and wellbeing of others.
“The most important thing for me is to enjoy my future career, and I think it’s important to help people and understand the importance of their health,” Ekwall said. “I also love how in healthcare there is continuously something to learn about.”
Participating in sports most of her life, Ekwall takes pride being a thrower on CSC’s track and field team.
“I like the challenge of competition, and I like that we’re pushed to work hard and we have to find our accountability. Sports have been like my whole life, so competing in college has been really exciting for me.”
Assistant track and field coach, Elizabeth Virgl, takes note of Ekwall’s work ethic and positive personality.
“Morgan is such a fun thrower to have on the team,” Virgl said. “She always comes to practice in a good mood, ready to work hard. She loves telling a good story or sharing an interesting experience and she genuinely brings light to everyone’s day.”
Even though college and competing are important, Ekwall prioritizes her family.
“Family is super important to me. We’re all pretty close and there is definitely never a dull moment,” Ekwall said. “We’re that family at restaurants that everyone stares at because we’re all laughing and being too loud, and I love it.”
After she graduates from CSC, Ekwall plans to find a professional school to earn her Doctor of Chiropractic degree and obtain a state license so she can begin practicing.
Chadron State College’s Project Strive/TRiO program, located in the lower level of the King Library, is an academic enrichment program committed to help students succeed. Project Strive also focuses on career exploration, cultural and social enrichment and self-awareness. To be eligible for the program, a student must be one of the following: A first generation student where neither parent has a four-year degree, meet low income status based on U.S. Department of Health and Human Services criteria, or have a documented disability. For more information, visit www.csc.edu/projectstrive.