Life West Bellevue is Counting Down to their First Graduation: Celebrating the Firsts Along the Way

T-Minus approximately 200 days until Life West Bellevue's Commencement! The countdown is officially on!

This past week marked another exciting milestone for Life West Bellevue as our first two cohorts had their regalia graduation photos taken. Seeing our students dressed in their graduation regalia made something that once felt so far away suddenly feel very real: our first graduation is coming in March 2027!

As we approach this incredible milestone, it is hard not to stop and reflect on all of the firsts these students have experienced along the way.

For the faculty and staff who have had the privilege of watching these students grow over the past three years, the memories seem to keep piling up.

There was the first day of class—when the excitement, nerves, and anticipation of beginning chiropractic school filled the room.

There was the first Student Council meeting, the first campus events, the first Spring for Life, the first fundraisers, the first technique workshops, the first exams, the first patient encounters, and countless other moments that seemed small at the time but became part of the story of building something together.

Then came the first adjustment. The first time a student moved from learning the concepts in a classroom to putting their hands on a real person and beginning to develop the skills they would carry into practice.

And now, we have reached another first: the first graduating class of Life West Bellevue is getting ready to graduate.

From Students to Doctors

One of the most rewarding parts of being part of this journey has been watching our students grow—not just academically, but personally and professionally.

Faculty and staff have watched students arrive with a dream of becoming chiropractors and slowly develop into confident, capable future doctors.

We have watched them learn, struggle, celebrate, support one another, overcome challenges, discover their strengths, and become leaders within our campus community.

Every quarter has brought another milestone. Every class, lab, adjustment, patient encounter, event, and conversation has added another piece to the journey.

And while graduation will be the culmination of their time as students, it is also the beginning of an entirely new chapter.

Another First: The Graduation Dinner & Awards Banquet

Before we officially celebrate commencement, our students will experience another Life West Bellevue first: our inaugural Graduation Dinner and Awards Banquet.

It will be an opportunity to gather together, celebrate accomplishments, recognize the people who have made an impact, and reflect on everything that brought our students to this moment.

And our students will have a special opportunity to recognize some of the people who helped them get here through a Life West tradition with a Bellevue twist—the PHT Awards: "Putting Him/Her Through."

Putting Him/Her Through

Becoming a chiropractor is never a journey taken alone.

Behind every graduate is a network of people who encouraged them, supported them, challenged them, believed in them, and sometimes simply reminded them why they started.

The PHT Awards give students an opportunity to recognize those people.

Students make a small donation in honor of someone who helped Put Them Through Life West. That person could be:

• Someone who first encouraged them to become a chiropractor
• A parent, spouse, family member, or friend who supported them
• A faculty or staff member who made a difference
• Someone in the Health Center who helped them along the way
• A mentor, colleague, or member of their community
• Or anyone else who played an important role in their journey

Because the truth is, anyone can help Put You Through Life West.

These awards are about recognizing the people behind the people—the individuals whose support helped make this milestone possible.

Your Graduation HUB Is Coming

For our students, graduation preparations will continue even while many are away on preceptorship.

To help keep everyone connected and informed, be on the lookout for a new Commencement Brightspace tile.

This will become your Graduation HUB, with important information, updates, deadlines, schedules, forms, and everything you need to know as we make our way toward commencement.

Whether you are on campus or away on preceptorship, the goal is to make sure you have one central place to find the information you need.

The Countdown Is On!

Approximately 200 days.

That's it.

After years of firsts, our first graduating class will walk across the stage in March 2027 as Life West Bellevue doctors of chiropractic.

The first day of class feels like yesterday.

The first adjustment.

The first Student Council meeting.

The first Spring for Life.

The first patient.

The first campus traditions.

The first bell ceremonies.

The first regalia photos.

And soon…

Our first graduation dinner.

Our first awards banquet.

Our first PHT Awards.

And finally—

Our first Commencement.

Faculty and staff cannot wait to celebrate this milestone with our students and the families, friends, mentors, faculty, staff, and supporters who helped them get here.

The countdown is on.

T-Minus approximately 200 days until Commencement!

Let's make these next 200 days count. 🎓