Maya Greenquist will continue making her mark on the world when she graduates from Missouri Southern this Saturday with her bachelor's in biomedical sciences with a pre-medical emphasis.
Greenquist’s influence on campus and beyond is undeniable: She’s volunteered around the community, interned at Freeman and Mercy Hospital, and served as president of both the pre-professional student organization Caduceus Club and mental health and wellness organization Green Bandana Project, just to name a few of her activities. She has been awarded several scholarships and grants for biology research and student travel throughout her college career. She also published poetry in MSSU’s literary journal “bordertown” and other publications. What Greenquist hasn’t done on campus would be easier to list.
“I’ve been very lucky that so many programs, departments, and organizations were willing to work with me and my crazy schedule,” she said. “No one, whether at MSSU or in the Joplin community, told me that I couldn't do something I wanted to do, and that's a rare opportunity for which I'm super grateful. They really welcomed me with open arms, and it felt right for me to try and give back to them as much as possible.”
Hailing from Hudson, Wisconsion, Greenquist graduated high school from Tokyo’s American School in Japan. She has been playing on the MSSU soccer team since her freshman year. Her time on the team gave Greenquist her friends and taught her valuable lessons.
“It taught me how to be completely in the moment,” she said. “No matter what's going on in my life, my focus is on the field with my teammates for the next 90 minutes. Everything else melts away.”
Her friends and family inspired her to pursue her passions.
“They have always been so supportive of me,” she said. “The best parts of me should be attributed to them–they are the reason that I was able to do everything.”
This fall, Greenquist will attend medical school at the University of Missouri. She will continue to impact others in her career, but she looks forward to the future of the organizations she bequeaths at MSSU.
“Missouri Southern was one of the best things that ever happened to me,” Greenquist said. “The university has become a home for me. Success has always been about what I leave behind. I know the people who are filling my roles are going to do fantastic things, and I'm just excited to see what happens from the other side.”
