November 9, 2010 — Parker College of Chiropractic president, Dr. Fabrizio Mancini, swapped roles for a day with Tri-Four Parker student, Steven Chalk.
Chalk was selected to serve as President for a Day where he attended all the meetings that Mancini would normally attend, and Mancini attended classes, labs, clinic training, and activities that Chalk would normally attend. The purpose of the first President for a Day event is to experience what it’s like to walk in each other’s shoes.
Mancini and Chalk met early that morning to trade cars. “I sold my car to help pay for my tuition, so I didn’t have a car for my first two years as a student at Parker,” said Mancini. “It was a real pleasure to get to drive Steven’s car to class as a Tri-Four student.”
After arriving on campus, Mancini exercised with students, attended classes, including a class taught by one of his former Parker classmates, Dr. Jim Guest, ate lunch with students in the Parker Café, shadowed student intern, Jose Negron, in one of the Parker Chiropractic Wellness Clinics, and more.
Chalk also started his day by exercising at Mancini’s favorite workout spot, Four Seasons in Irving, Texas, with some of Mancini’s closest friends and colleagues. Following the workout, he met with Bill Nardiello, chairman of the Parker Board of Trustees.
Chalk pitched the idea of creating a President for a Day Scholarship. Nardiello generously offered to fund the scholarship by donating $1,500.
Later that day, Chalk spoke on the phone with chiropractic visionaries such as Dr. Patrick Gentempo, Dr. Michael Flynn, Dr. Gary Walsemann, Dr. Rick McMichael, and Kent Greenawalt.
He attended lunch with Parker alumni and vice president of the Parker Alumni Association, Dr. Camille Reagan. He also met with Jordan Hart, president of student senate, Dr. Gene Giggleman, dean of academics, Dr. Larry Stolar, dean of clinics, Matt Eiserloh, chief marketing officer, Victor Ballesteros, dean of students, Chris Zeppa, director of information services, and Dr. Chris Petrie, manager of academic and clinical computing.
“As a student we might think Parker’s making some things harder,” said Chalk. “I see now that all of the changes and advancements Parker is making—it’s all about making the students a better chiropractor.”
During some of Chalk’s meetings he presented his idea of integrating i-clickers into classrooms. The idea was part of his winning presentation to the President for a Day selection committee. He also met with representatives from i-clicker.
I-clicker is an audience response system that enables professors to pose both preconceived and spontaneous questions and see how the class answers. I-clickers allow students to participate without embarrassment of answering questions wrong or even raising their hand.
“Every student would participate and the professor would know how well the information presented is being understood,” said Chalk.
Dr. Mancini and Chalk met up at the end of the day to have a nice dinner sponsored by Pappas Bros. and to discuss the experiences they had walking in each other’s footsteps.
“This was amazing for me,” said Mancini. “This day has been one of the best days I have had as president at Parker, one that I know will help me be a better president and a better leader.”
“There was just so much to do and I barely scratched the surface,” said Chalk. “I have more appreciation now for my education at Parker than I even did before.”
In addition to being selected as the first participant in President for a Day, sponsored by Parker Seminars, Chalk will receive airfare, hotel accommodation, and a per diem for Parker Seminars Las Vegas 2011, where he will join Mancini on stage for the opening session.
Source: Parker College of Chiropractic, www.parkercc.edu
