Spire Magazine 2021

Recent nursing graduate Wesley Stickley was inspired by his grandmother to become a nurse. Born and raised in Marion, Virginia, Stickley graduated from Marion Senior High School in 2005. He then went on to graduate from Virginia Highlands Community College in 2016 and received his Bachelor of Science in nursing from Bluefield University in 2019. Stickley continued his education at BU and graduated with a Master of Science in nursing with a focus of family nurse practitioner this past May. "What I like most about being a nurse is that I try to remain positive and be the person to make a change within that toxic environment,' said Stickley. "I have suffered with medical issues my entire life and if I am able to get out of bed then I should be doing something beneficial. I want to be that necessary change within the health system that is missing." Stickley currently serves as a medical emergency nurse in the cardiovascular intensive care unit and associate clinical leader at Bristol Regional Medical Center. Since graduation and passing his boards, Stickley has accepted a position in Nephrology and will begin this fall. “I’m extremely grateful for my education from Bluefield University. The classes were small, but the education was a large impact,” shared Stickley. “The instructors truly care about the information that you receive to transition yourself into the person you hope to become.”

Dr. Jacquelyn Chick Robbins , from Roanoke, Virginia, came to Bluefield University in 2014 and was a member of the women's soccer team. Robbins shared one of the reasons she came to BU was to go into the healthcare field. In 2018, Robbins graduated with a bachelors of science in exercise sports science with a sports medicine concentration. "During those four years, I grew in my faith, and solidified my desire to become a healthcare provider," said Robbins. "I had awesome professors who really helped me delve into my love for the human body and helped with the track that I was choosing to purse to become a physical therapist." Robbins applied to physical therapy schools the summer of her junior year at BU and took the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) during the soccer preseason of her senior year. After graduating from BU in 2018 and marrying alumnus Caleb Robbins '15, Robbins started physical therapy school at Radford University in Roanoke, Va. In May 2021, Robbins graduated from Radford University with her doctor of physical therapy degree. Robbins recently moved to South Carolina to start her career as a sports resident, where she will work 13 months in the clinic and with athletes at local institutions. "Bluefield University taught me what a servant leader looks like," said Robbins. "In physical therapy, this is huge because someone I work with may be going through a hard time, whether it's a surgery or life-altering disease. It's about loving people well and helping them become their best selves."

Known as the "skin twins", brothers Dr. Kevin DeHart and Dr. Kelley DeHart '99, from Bland County, Virginia, knew coming to Bluefield was the best choice for them.

Keep up with the DeHart twins on Instagram! @theskintwins

"Bluefield had an excellent reputation as a liberal arts college, offered us both substantial academic scholarships for the four years, and offered solid bachelor's degrees for us to be competitive entering into medical school," said Kelley. "We enjoyed the small campus and essentially knew everyone at school. The class sizes were generally small, and this allowed close communication with professors and students." After graduation, both brothers attended the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine (WVSOM) in Lewisburg, WV. Following their residencies, Kelley joined Pariser Dermatology in Norfolk, VA. Kevin served at GroupHealth in Seattle, WA for four years post-residency before relocating to be with his brother at Pariser where they currently practice. In 2020, both brother doctors were recognized in the Top Doctors List in two Virginia magazines. “We want Bluefield University to continue to be the amazing school it was for us when we attended. Partnerships like the one with VCOM will help the college attract more and more students from across the country. This will benefit not only the school but also the local community and economy”, they said.

14 2