Alumni Spotlight: Tim Sparling

Kalamazoo Valley Community College graduate Tim Sparling is currently a hospice and palliative care nurse practitioner at Corewell Health, working at Lemmon-Holton Cancer Pavilion in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Sparling credits Kalamazoo Valley with helping him achieve his academic goals and build his career.

“I chose Kalamazoo Valley Community College because of the school's reputation for excellence in nursing,” Sparling said. “Receiving an associate in applied arts in nursing gave me the confidence to set out into the working world and start to make a difference. I became financially independent and was able to pay back my student loans almost instantly.”

Sparling is originally from Plymouth, Michigan and came to Kalamazoo to attend Western Michigan University. It wasn’t long before he realized Kalamazoo Valley was the perfect fit and decided to transfer.

After graduating with an associate degree in applied arts in nursing in 2002, Sparling was a nurse for several years. Afterward, he attended University of Phoenix, where he received his bachelor’s of nursing science. He later earned his nursing doctorate at Wayne State University.

“Out of all my schooling, Kalamazoo Valley taught me the most. I can say that confidently and without reservation,” Sparling said. “Kalamazoo Valley is where I learned incredible knowledge about being a professional nurse.”

Sparling said his passion for his career stems from the opportunity to help others.

“I see cancer patients of all ages and stages. I am blessed with the opportunity to care for people at their most vulnerable,” Sparling said. “I also teach part time at The Ohio State University in a weekly, intensive seminar on evidence-based practice. I am fortunate that my job allows me flexibility to both teach and practice nursing at an advanced level.”

For those who are unsure if they would like to pursue higher education, Sparling said it is worth the hard work.  

“If you are on the fence, please consider going to Kalamazoo Valley Community College and taking some general education classes. The career counselors helped me plan out what my degree would require both in time and money and were instrumental to my success,” Sparling said. “I have so many lifelong friends as a result of the close relationships I developed with my cohort.”