Alumni Spotlight: Wanda Collins ’98

Wanda Collins graduated in the Indiana Academy Class of 1998. She currently lives in Portland, Oregon. Wanda completed her Master’s degree in Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine at the Oregon College of Oriental Medicine (which is ranked the number 1 school in the nation for their Acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine program). She is also a licensed massage therapist. She works at a clinic in SE Portland called Gateway Sports Medicine as an independent contractor under her own business license, called “East Meets West Acupuncture and Massage.” Wanda specializes in treating pain and injuries with natural medicine. She treats automobile accident injuries, work comp injuries, sports injuries, and chronic pain disorders such as fibromyalgia, scoliosis, as well as spinal disorders such as spondylosis, retrolisthesis, anterolisthesis, disc herniations (bulges, protrusions, dessications, degenerative disc disease,), osteoarthritis, bursitis, sprains and strains, stenosis of the spinal canals, stroke paralysis, bell’s palsy, headaches, temporomandibular joint disorder, bone spurs, plantar fascitis, irritable bowel syndrome, and common elderly disorders such as nocturia and overactive bladder (polyuria). In her work in a sports medicine clinic, Wanda co-treats patients with an M.D., a chiropractor, and physical therapist, and the majority of her patients are suffering from pain and injury.

After she graduated from the Oregon College, she spent time doing advanced studies as an intern at various Chinese hospitals in Nanjing (Jiangsu province). She met a doctor at Zhong Da hospital in 2009 and has worked with him to publish an article in a medical research journal, and she is currently co-authoring a book about how to use traditional Chinese Othopedic Manipulation to treat a variety of musculo-skeletal disorders as well as internal disorders. She is looking to publish the book this year.

Wanda is very thankful for her experience at the Academy – “I am grateful to have attended and graduated from The Indiana Academy. I believe there is no greater challenge to prepare one for an academic pathway for university life. I am happy that I made the wise decision to leave my family and friends in pursuit of a better life for myself, with the knowledge that if I managed to get the best education for myself I could make up my absence for the years spent at the Academy, the University of Southern California, and the Oregon College of Oriental Medicine. I look back fondly on the 2 years I spent at the Academy, the wonderful teachers we had, and the wonderful times.” Her hobbies are hiking, “geeking out” on nature, dance (African, Brazilian, and Latino influenced dance such as salsa, samba, meringue, etc), and traveling. Wanda speaks Spanish, and has studied Korean, Russian, French, and Mandarin Chinese. Wanda’s husband is a civil engineer and she has a 15 year old step-daughter.

“I hope that life has been fulfilling and rich for all of you. You all have a special place in my heart!”