Hometown Hillsdale: Kevin Walton, ’94: Walton Chiropractic

Written by Doug Goodnough

Dr. Kevin Walton, ’94, said he believes the environment that people choose to live in helps make them who they are.

That’s why he chose to work and live close to Hillsdale College. The owner of Walton Chiropractic in Hillsdale said he loves his longtime connection to the College.

“It’s amazing the amount of ties from Hillsdale College you have if you’re in town,” he said. “A lot of Hillsdale College grads stay here. You don’t realize how many of us (are here) until you talk and hang out.”

A biology major and a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity while at Hillsdale, Dr. Walton decided to get a head start on his current profession, leaving Hillsdale to attend the Palmer School of Chiropractic during the second semester of his senior year. When he graduated from Palmer in 1997, he decided to return to Hillsdale to work with Dr. Ervin Malcheff.

“I didn’t realize how good we have it until you leave and you come back,” said Dr. Walton, who grew up in the Bird Lake area near Osseo, Michigan. “I love the small-town atmosphere.”

He said Hillsdale College was a big reason he decided to return to the area and start his career—and eventually his family. In fact, he and his wife, Barb, a local hair stylist, enrolled their three children in Hillsdale Academy. His oldest daughter, Claire, graduated and is a college sophomore, while son Grant is a junior and youngest daughter Ella a sophomore at the Academy.

After celebrating his 50th birthday, Dr. Walton said he appreciates Hillsdale College’s values even more.

“The biggest reason I’m so grateful to live close to Hillsdale College is because the values of the College radiate into the community and the people around here. And when you get older, you appreciate and respect those values. I want to be around people and places that reflect the values that I have. Hillsdale College reflects those perfectly.”

He interacts with Hillsdale College faculty, staff, and students. As far as his treatment philosophy, the entrance door to his Carleton Road facility displays a sign with a simple message: Expect Miracles.

“The reason why we say ‘Expect Miracles’ is that people no longer believe in their human body potential, whether it’s mental, physical, emotional, or chemical,” he said. “In chiropractic, we believe the body has natural intelligence. In chiropractic, we believe the body has an innate intelligence inside it. All day long, we help to get that intelligence to express itself better. And that exudes health.”

He also has a personal mission of establishing the chiropractic profession in the medical community.

“I wanted chiropractic to be expressed in Hillsdale, looked upon as a credible profession,” said Walton, who started his own practice in 2005. “Hillsdale is my home. I’m here to stay. I want to help the community get healthier.”

An avid runner, Dr. Walton said he enjoys being able to jog through Hillsdale’s campus a couple of times a week. He said it is a reminder of how special a place it continues to be.

“One of the things I have loved about Hillsdale College is that it has stayed small, but has a huge impact,” he said. “It’s a beautiful thing.”


Doug Goodnough, ’90, is Hillsdale’s new director of Alumni Marketing. He’s looking forward to connecting with fellow alumni in new and wonderful ways.

 

 


Published in August 2022