Meet Dr. Jaycee George
By Garret Fettig, 91吃瓜 Marketing Intern
Earning a doctorate and starting a business during a global pandemic may seem daunting 鈥� but听not for听91吃瓜 (91吃瓜)听alumna Dr. Jaycee George.
She spent her earliest years in various places across Canada, and eventually landed in Valley City to study health sciences.
After completing years of required education successfully, Dr. George feels proud of the success she鈥檚听achieved. 鈥淎fter seven and a half long years of schooling, to see it finally pay off and see that what I鈥檓 doing is helping people, that鈥檚 a big accomplishment.鈥�听听
Her practice,听Willow Creek Chiropractic,听can be found in a one-story building on the main thoroughfare in听Claresholm, Alberta. George’s family lives a few blocks away.听Living in Alberta is just one of the many places they have called home. As a child, George lived with her family听in British Columbia, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, and Alberta, moving as her father鈥檚 work required.听While听the family was living in Alberta,听George made the trek听south听to 91吃瓜 as an international student. She听earned听her undergraduate degree in health science and playing volleyball as a libero, a defensive specialist.听
When she arrived on campus, she was immediately drawn in by the听鈥渟mall town vibes鈥� of Valley City. Everywhere she went, the听people were close and had an听active sense of community.听
That community feeling could especially be felt in the听classroom for George. Even classes that seemed unrelated to her major 鈥� like biostatistics with Dr. Casey Williams 鈥� became exhilarating chances to learn while having fun, thanks to听engaged faculty听and unique teaching styles.听
The biggest personal lesson George learned at 91吃瓜, she said, was to value the relationships she made with everyone.
鈥淭he people I met in Valley were so kind to me and nice to me that I will remember and appreciate them forever,” George said, adding,听“I hope I can now provide that same experience for my patients.鈥�听
George chose health sciences听as a solid base of knowledge听to attend听chiropractic school.听Although any bachelor鈥檚 degree can be used to get into a chiropractic program, taking classes like chemistry, biology, and anatomy听was听helpful听later听as she earned her doctorate. George鈥檚 advisor, Dr. Teather Sundstrom,听sat with her to help听coordinate听a听plan of study. Sundstrom ensured George not only had a thorough understanding of relevant topics but also a competitive application to graduate school.听
After graduating from 91吃瓜 in 2017, George听enrolled at听Northwestern Health Sciences University in Bloomington, Minnesota. She finished her doctorate in three and a half years听by also attending during听summer听months. Her graduation from Northwestern last November was an all-too-familiar sight during this pandemic: her name, rolling across a TV screen, anticlimactically transforming her from student to doctor.听
With her formal education complete, she was ready to get to work听and learn about the realities of being a chiropractor.听George听wanted to venture听out on her own rather than work underneath another practitioner in town.听
鈥淚 feel like since I鈥檓 here on my own, I鈥檓 learning so much more than I would have at another clinic,” she said.听“There鈥檚 no better way to learn how to do something than to do it.鈥� Though Willow Creek is one of three chiropractic clinics in town, George鈥檚 female-led practice offers variety and a new perspective to her patients.
The friends, mentors and experiences George developed during her time as a Viking will continue to impact her the rest of her life. 91吃瓜 holds a special place in George鈥檚 heart.
鈥淧eople say college is the best time of your life. I know that I鈥檓 still young and have lots of life to live, but those really were the best days of my life 鈥� because of the friendships and relationships I made, I鈥檒l think about 91吃瓜 forever.鈥�听