Shawn Nowlin
shawn.nowlin@ourvalley.org
One of Salem’s brightest stars is well on his way to accomplishing his dream of becoming a chiropractor. Sherman College of Chiropractic student Justin Ginnings wants to promote living a healthy lifestyle within the community by one day establishing a successful practice that Salem trusts and respects.
Born in Tennessee, Ginnings moved to Salem with his family when he was ten. After attending Andrew Lewis Middle School, Ginnings transitioned to Salem High before graduating from Roanoke College.
Always an extrovert, Ginnings, like most teenagers, enjoyed hanging with friends, playing sports and watching movies growing up. In middle school, he joined the track and field team and continued running competitively all the way through his year senior of college.
As a junior, Ginnings started looking into graduate school programs. Originally, he wanted to pursue a degree as a physician’s assistant. After shadowing many Doctors of Chiropractic throughout Roanoke Valley, he fell in love with the profession as a patient and future caregiver.
“My parents are one of the only reasons I’ve had the opportunity to attend Roanoke College and Sherman College of Chiropractic. They have been a huge help financially and emotionally and I cannot thank them enough for all that they’ve done for me,” Ginnings said. “I want to continue making them proud.”
One of the best decisions Ginnings says he ever made was asking his best friend to marry him. Ginnings and his fiancé Ashleigh have known each other since middle school.
“I met Ashleigh through Andrew Lewis’s track and field program. As soon as we met, we quickly became best friends and have officially been together for eight years,” he said. “We are planning to get married the summer I graduate from grad school.”
It goes without saying that there has never been a year like 2020. Like most people, Ginnings has come to appreciate all that he has more than ever.
“Due to COVID-19, I was forced to slow down from a busy schedule and think about what mattered most to me. Even though I was continuing my education online, I was able to spend extra time with loved ones that I would not have gotten to see otherwise,” he said. “It has reminded me that I should never take the time I get to spend with friends and family for granted.”
I am excited about the next chapter of my life, said Ginnings before added, I want to be an inspiration for the next generation.
