MISSOURI STATE UNIVERSITY
THE STANDARD GRADUATION 2025
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A note from the editors
The end of the year is always bittersweet, especially for graduates. Some days, fond memories from freshman year come flooding back in the middle of taking senior photos, and other days consist of 2 a.m. nights finishing a neverending to-do list.
From GEP classes to senior capstones to decorating grad caps, the days eventually blur together. It’s always shocking to realize how quickly four years can pass, and only until after it’s gone can you notice the time that flew by.
And by the time you have two weeks left in your last year at Missouri State University, you’re left wondering what gaps to fill in your resume, hoping to see your friends again after they move states, and what exactly comes next after having your name called at commencement.
So to honor the graduates, The Standard’s last print issue has traditionally featured outstanding graduating seniors who have left a lasting impact in their four years at MSU.
This year’s 2025 graduation issue celebrates students from a variety of disciplines and majors, from educators to photographers to student athletes.
Though the finish line is just weeks away, and the pressure and stress may seem endless, we hope this issue is a reminder
Standard staff
Editors
Liz Garcia co-editor-in-chief
Jayden Pettus co-editor-in-chief
W. Paul Bohlen sports editor
Madison Reece assistant editor
Reporters and visual artists
Ella Conklin reporter
Elise Dust reporter
Becky Gardner reporter
Maura Curran reporter
Arden Dickson photographer
Robin Garner reporter
Matthew Huff photographer
Daisha Jackson photographer
Jude Jenkins reporter
Spencer Justice photographer
Maddux Radosevic reporter
Madison Reece reporter
Rylie Robinson reporter
of the beautiful things that can be accomplished at MSU. Hopefully, the stories of these students can inspire you to continue making your Missouri Statement.
Sincerely, Liz and Jayden
THE STANDARD GRADUATION 2025
Cover design by Liz Garcia
On the cover: Some graduates opt to decorate their caps for graduation, usually in relation to their major or future field. Here, a future educator included the names of students on the cap. Photo by W. Paul Bohlen.
THE STANDARD
is Missouri State University’s student-produced newspaper. The university has not approved and is not responsible for its content, which is produced and edited by the students on The Standard staff.
Piper Ruebling reporter
Faith Sappington reporter
Jackson Wright reporter
Kamryn Stofer reporter
Kaylee Vaughan photographer
Aden Zuccarini reporter
Jamie Santner reporter
Copy Editors
Isabel Gamble
Liliana Hayes
Ruby Knight
Ebony Love
Advertising staff
Cadance Ruth advertising designer
Caedran Yeidel advertising sales assistant
Professional staff
Jack Dimond faculty adviser
Mindy Welland Photography graduate finds inspiration, belonging at Brick City
ELLA CONKLIN Reporter Q_ellaconklin
Situated in downtown Springfield, Brick City houses Missouri State University’s Art and Design Department.
The four buildings are teeming with creative and talented students, including senior photography student Mindy Welland. Graduating in May with a bachelors of fine arts, Welland’s time at Brick City will have been marked by passion, dedication and a penchant for uplifting others.
Though Welland always had passion for photography, the hard-working student didn’t always aspire to do it professionally.
“My dad always had his Canon camera when I was growing up,” Welland said. “And so I was like eight years old with this really expensive camera in my hands trying to learn it.”
By the time young Welland hit high school, she was quite familiar with cameras, even bringing one along to Micheal’s — the arts and crafts store — to have a photoshoot against the fake flowers with friends, or being asked to take graduation or prom photos of her peers.
“I just photographed as much as I could in high school, but it was pretty much all outside of school,” Welland said.
Welland used this passion project to find other creatives in the Kansas City area, allowing her to connect and learn on a whole new scale. Welland joined KC Rising, a collaborative group based in Kansas City of artists and creatives across all different ages and skill levels. Once a month, the group would meet to go on photo walks together.
Through KC Rising, Welland was exposed to film cameras and different styles and photography skills. She was also able to see how work mea-
sured up to others for the first time, and over time, gained more confidence in her ability.
Once Welland was at MSU in 2021, the freshman did not plan to study art. She remained undeclared her first semester at MSU with an interest in special education. Welland used her first semester to take different classes and figure out where she felt she belonged.
“I took my first art class in the fall (of freshman year) to kind of see if I liked the art program,” Welland said. “I realized there was a whole different atmosphere at Brick City versus on the main campus, and I just fell in love with it immediately.”
Hooked on the creative vibes of Brick City, Welland declared photography as her major the following semester.
“(Photography) was something I always wanted to do and then I was validated and affirmed with that decision whenever I was surrounded by creative people at Brick City,” Welland said.
From her spring semester of Welland’s freshman year she dove head first into the world of photography and put her talents and passions to the test. No one was more impressed with Welland’s hard work than Gwen Walstrand, Welland’s photography professor and advisor.
“I think what’s really impressive about (Welland) is that she certainly has some natural abilities, but she doesn’t just rely on that,” Walstrand said. “She works really hard and she is always questioning what she has done and is willing to get feedback. She’s like a sponge, she soaks it all up and uses it immediately.”
As Welland gained more experience and skill, she became increasingly involved at MSU. Her freshman year, Welland joined sartorial, MSU’s student-led fashion, beauty, and culture magazine.
“(With Sartorial) I could photograph different articles,” Welland said. “I could be a part of different photo shoots, and it was just a really good creative outlet.”
After being a part of the organization for two years, she served as Sartorial’s creative director her junior year. Currently, as a senior, she runs the magazine as co-editor-in-chief of Sartorial.
“I wanted to move up into a leadership role because I was just really passionate about (Sartorial) and I had so many ideas,” Welland said.
“...After seeing the editor-in-chiefs of my freshman and sophomore year, it was somebody who I really looked up to, and I think I just wanted to take the initiative to be that role model for other people,” Welland said.
Welland’s exhibition, titled “Force of Nature,” is a representation of human connection and nature, and how the two often find themselves intertwined.
Photo by Liz Garcia
Mindy Welland, a senior photography student, will be showcasing her exhibition through May 2 in Missouri State University’s Brick City Gallery.
Photo by Liz Garcia
“Outdoor spaces have always served as a sanctuary for me, particularly as a Queer individual,” Welland said in her artist statement.
Alongside the 14 photographs displayed in her exhibition, Welland provided an artist statement and exhibition card for viewers to learn more about her work.
Additionally, Welland has worked as a photography lab monitor since her junior year. Lab monitors supervise the safety and organization of the photo lab, and also offers advice and feedback to help lower-level students develop their photos.
“(Welland) does a lot of mentoring in (lab monitoring) and people seek her advice,” Walstrand said. “We have three great monitors — all of them are fantastic — but I know for years people have sought her out and her advice because they know that they’re going to get some good feedback.”
Welland feels that through lab monitoring she is learning just as much as she is helping.
In her artist statement, Welland said the individuals in her images “are those who represent the LGBTQ+ community or allies,” a theme she’s explored through a variety of projects that led up to her senior exhibition.
“I especially like getting to work with the different intro students because just hearing the way that they talk about their own projects kind of inspires me to do more research on what I’m interested in,” she said.
Welland’s own work has changed and grown because of her desire to learn. She engages with different mediums and has moved past photographing just graduations and proms.
Welland said because of her academic training she favors the more fine arts side of photography. She enjoys working with film cameras, and especially loves large format film photography, which includes a large camera and tripod.
“(Large format film photography) is a long, slow process,” she said. “I’m really, really interested in slowing down as I take photos and completely appreciating what I’m photographing.”
Welland believes in enjoying the process just as much as enjoying the final product, and that you cannot have one without the other. She finds purpose in every step of the photography process.
“My photography is usually (on) film — mainly black and white — and the subjects in my photos are people who are either queer or allies of the LGBTQ community,” Welland said, “because it is something I identify with, and it’s really important to me for those people in my photos to be represented.”
Welland finds that in photographing people of the LGBTQ community, others expect the photos to look a certain way. Welland likes to challenge that belief through her work and show LGBTQ individuals are just like everyone else.
Welland seeks to demonstrate how people are connected and similar through her work. Whether she is photographing traditionally underrepresented groups to show the similarity
to everyone else or showcasing how nature and humans are connected in her final senior project Welland finds likeness in everything she photographs.
“My senior thesis is pretty much all about how nature body and physical human body are so connected,” Welland said. “In my artist statement, I kind of talk about how when we’re all stripped down, at the end of the day, we are all fundamentally human.”
Welland’s senior exhibition photos connect nature and the human form. Her work visually represents communication and similarity between people and nature. Some of her photos feature hands reaching for twisting branches or bare bodies caressing tree trunks.
After graduation, Welland is excited to move to Kansas City with a few of her friends and experiment with her art.
“I’ve learned so much this year to the point where I kind of just want an unrelated job so I can explore my work on my own,” Welland said. “I plan to be in Kansas City for a year or two, and then I really want to work full time in an art gallery or museum with community outreach and children’s education programs.”
Welland’s passion echoes in everything she does. From her photography, to her contributions to Sartorial, to her excellent mentor skills as lab monitor, her dedication to her craft and wanting to share that love with others shines through. No matter where her future takes her, Mindy Welland will continue to take the skills she learned in Brick City and use them to connect people through art.
“Being a lab monitor, and being co-editor-in-chief of Sartorial, it’s like you have to be someone that you needed when you were going through it,” Welland said. “I think that applies to everything.”
Photo by Liz Garcia
Photo by Liz Garcia
Photo by Liz Garcia
Kobe Fisher
No stranger to challenges
JUDE JENKINS Reporter
Q_judejenkins
Kobe Fisher is no stranger to challenges. After feeling uncertain about his post-highschool plans, Fisher originally planned to go to Ozarks Technical College. However, his outlook shifted after he was given an opportunity to help those in a special needs classroom his senior year.
“I absolutely fell in love with it the second I got in there,” Fisher said. “The atmosphere was great. I really loved how each day was different, and being able to work with those kids before I went to college was a great indicator of what I wanted to do.”
Fisher ultimately decided to pursue a teaching career at Missouri State University after finding that nearly all his teachers had been MSU Alums. Originally from Rogersville, Missouri, he found that the decision to attend and enroll as an education major was a no-brainer. His first exposure to special education was through the Missouri A Plus program, where he was able to raise the reading comprehension of a special needs senior at his school through intensive tutoring.
Fisher credits this experience largely for his interest in special education.
“We tend to overlook the small victories of those with special needs, so being able to be there for each step was huge for me,” he said.
As far as campus duties go, Fisher is not one to fall short. He is an active member of the Student Council for Exceptional Children, an organization founded last March that spreads awareness about how to work with special needs individuals. He credits this group as a great opportunity for him to take a leadership role, allowing him to be hands on in his work.
“It’s been a huge part of campus life for me,” Fisher said. “I wanted to find a way to inject myself into campus life, and this was the perfect opportunity.”
The organization also partners with the Hive of the Ozarks, a café that employs special needs individuals, and orchestrates fun events such as movie nights with Arc of the Ozarks, another resource for special needs individuals. Further-
more, he has volunteered as a camp counselor for the Arc the past two summers and plans to return this year to aid in continuing the Arc’s mission. In addition to volunteering, Fisher works at Arc of the Ozarks to teach bowling classes through their Lifetime of Learning program.
Fisher is also a student teacher at Willard, where he helps different kids with vocational and career skills such as preparing for interviews, how to dress professionally and how to respond to interview questions.
“I was very fortunate to be in this class,” he said. “I was worried that my first student-teaching job would be stagnant, but it has been gogo-go from the start.”
The class he teaches also allows him to take “about five kids” out of the classroom each week to tour local businesses such as the Dickerson Park Zoo, and see “what jobs are out there” for them.
“That’s always great,” Fisher said, “But the huge thing we do is the coffee shop,” which allows students to think on their feet, and mimic real-world job experiences. The coffee shop — run by special needs students — is located inside the high school. Workers serve faculty and students, allowing them to not only get experience but make connections with peers.
The future for Kobe Fisher is very bright — he currently has a job lined up at the Ozark Junior High, where he plans to take his skills to the essential skills room to help teach students life and hands-on skills. He encourages those considering pursuing a similar career path to get involved.
“I would really just suggest all education majors to join organizations,” he said. “That was how I really met and connected with everyone I know now.”
Eventually, Fisher said he wants to go back to school to receive his masters, and perhaps even his doctorate to further impact the community. However, for now, Fisher says he is excited for what the future holds and will continue to enjoy his free time playing softball, enjoying disc golf, and helping make an impact in a demographic where small wins can lead to a lifetime of success.
Fisher is involved in many organizations on and off campus, exemplifying what it means to be a Bear.
Photo submitted by Kobe Fisher
“The
Grace O’Keefe
true definition” of a student-athlete
MADDUX RADOSEVIC Reporter DRadosevicMaddux
Student-athletes. Some of them excel in their respective competitions. Some of them thrive in the classroom. Grace O’Keefe has dominated in both.
A senior from Overland Park, Kansas, O’Keefe has poured her heart and soul into her work as both the captain of the Missouri State University women’s soccer team and as a mechanical engineering technology major. Maintaining a perfect 4.0 GPA for her entire collegiate career and earning All-Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) First Team honors all three seasons from 2022-2024, O’Keefe both played and studied well.
But, how did she get to Missouri State in the first place?
Surprisingly enough, O’Keefe’s path to becoming a Bear goes all the way back to her kindergarten days at Ascension Catholic School in Overland Park.
“I went to kindergarten, elementary school, middle school, high school, and, now, college with five girls that are on the team right now,” she said.
Before she went to high school, O’Keefe crossed paths with fellow Overland Park native and Lady Bear legend-in-the-making Sydney Wilson. Racking up 119 victories, 1,158 points and 632 rebounds during her career with the Missouri State women’s basketball team, Wilson, although a year older, first met O’Keefe through basketball.
After O’Keefe’s freshman year at Saint Thomas Aquinas High School, she decided basketball was not for her. As a result, she began focusing on a different sport — soccer.
To get the ball rolling, O’Keefe played for Saint Thomas Aquinas and the Kansas Rush Soccer Club — one of the premier programs in the area. Since Aquinas had established itself as a big feeder into the Bears women’s soccer program and O’Keefe had displayed how prominent a central midfielder she could be, the Missouri State coaching staff soon took notice of her abilities.
However, early on, Missouri State wanted O’Keefe more than O’Keefe wanted Missouri State.
With O’Keefe’s bright mind, she started her college search process by favoring Ivy League institutions that feature the most prestigious academic standards in the nation. Kirk Nelson, then-associate Bears head coach, did not feel confident Missouri State would land the bigtime recruit.
“I didn’t think she was gonna come here,” Nelson said.
But still, Nelson saw something desirable about O’Keefe.
“I felt she could be an immediate starter for us coming in as a freshman, and that’s not always the case,” he said.
Before long, after some influence from a friend – Kyli Jackson – who attended both Ascension and Aquinas with her and was also a women’s soccer player at MSU at the time, O’Keefe chose Missouri State.
When Nelson heard about O’Keefe’s decision to come to Missouri State, he was overjoyed.
“We always make (the commits) say, ‘I want to be a Bear,’” Nelson said. “When she said that, then, we never looked back.”
Once O’Keefe arrived on campus, she had to face the challenge of pursuing both her arduous work in the classroom and her soccer career.
Because many classes for mechanical engineering majors are offered during only one specific time slot, O’Keefe had to work extra hard to devise a plan for how she could execute both her coursework and her athletic goals. Through the help of Nelson and her instructors, O’Keefe overcame these hardships while still performing at the highest level in her classes and on the pitch.
“It was definitely tough, and I always give the credit to Coach Kirk and my professors with helping me so much with the balance,” she said. “I would have to miss practice all the time, and I would rarely miss class.”
Having played for the Lady Bears for five seasons during her collegiate career, Wilson understands these struggles quite well herself.
“It’s like having two jobs, honestly,” Wilson said. “Like, your sport is literally your job. You go to class all day long, and, then, you go to practice, and, then, like, you wake up, and you do the next day.”
For Wilson, O’Keefe’s ability to attack this daunting schedule only adds to her incredible list of achievements.
“Being an athlete, it’s hard to find that balance of academics and your sport, so she obviously found that perfectly,” Wilson said. “She was able to do it at such a high level and to achieve in the classroom as well.”
Wilson added that O’Keefe’s excellence on and off the field reveals even more about her identity as a soccer player at Missouri State.
“She’s honestly like the true definition of a student-athlete,” she said. “She’s tremendous in the classroom, and then tremendous on the
Photo provided by Grace O’Keefe
O’Keefe exemplified what it means to be a student-athlete. Racking up multiple academic and performance awards, she spent time as captain of women’s soccer while maintaining a 4.0 GPA in mechanical engineering technology.
field too.”
O’Keefe attained this success, in part, because of her zeal for her work. Since she got to study what she loved, her journey felt much more manageable.
“I love what I study, and, so, that makes it a lot easier when I’m doing homework all night,” she said. “I’m really, really passionate about it.”
Aside from her passion, Nelson described O’Keefe as “organized” and “goal-oriented” — two attributes he views as salient as a former teacher. The numbers support Nelson’s vision. Under his watch, Nelson’s teams have attained a GPA of 3.75 or higher in each of the last three seasons. As a 4.0 student, O’Keefe led the charge.
Her positive results pleased Nelson, especially since he had not witnessed any of his previous players take the same degree path she did.
“In the years that I’ve been here, no one else on the team has been in that specific degree,” he said.
O’Keefe’s success in the classroom replicated itself on the pitch. Although her team did not make the conference tournament her freshman year, O’Keefe and the Bears came back stronger the following season.
After the preseason poll slated the squad to finish eight in the MVC, O’Keefe led her team to a conference title and the NCAA tournament — claiming the 2022 MVC Player of the Year award along the way.
Before long, O’Keefe’s academic and athletic achievements translated into her monumental impact on the community.
On May 18, 2023, O’Keefe was selected to represent the entire athletic program in front of the Board of Governors during a Make Your Missouri Statement hearing. It was the first time in about a decade a program from athletics was chosen for this honor.
Nelson approved.
“She does a really good job of representing our program in the community,” he said.
Although the task caused some strain for O’Keefe, she expressed gratitude for getting the opportunity to use this moment for her own personal growth.
“That was so stressful,” she said. “But, then, that kind of prepared me for doing the athletic director introduction.”
To introduce the new athletic director Patrick Ransdell to the school and the community, the athletic department called upon O’Keefe once more. O’Keefe saw this duty as a high honor.
“(Ransdell) is such a cool guy, and, when I met him then, I was immediately put at ease cause he’s just such a cool dude,” she said. “Missouri State’s very lucky to have him.”
Although she introduced Ransdell the day after one of her games and on only two days’ notice, O’Keefe viewed the experience as an accomplishment that will guide her in future public speaking appearances.
“Now, any time I speak in front of people, I’ve spoken in front of thousands of people not
reading off of anything, so, like, it just makes everything easier after that,” she said.
Even though O’Keefe was heavily influencing the community, she still had her senior soccer season to focus on. This time, not only would O’Keefe serve as the team’s captain, but she would also have the privilege of playing alongside her younger sister Maggie who joined the squad in 2024. O’Keefe said playing with her sister was “the best experience of (her) life,” but even this privilege did not come easy.
“We’re very similar,” O’Keefe said. “We butt heads a lot.”
Despite their differences, on O’Keefe’s senior night in a match against the University of Illinois Chicago Flames, O’Keefe led her sister to her first collegiate goal by assisting Maggie for the score.
“I beat a couple players, and, then, I shoot,” O’Keefe said. “It goes off the crossbar, and Maggie, like, stomachs it in the goal.”
When reflecting on the joyous occasion, the Bears captain agreed that the moment was a dream come true.
“I can’t even talk about it,” she said. “ I’ll get emotional.”
Just like O’Keefe led her sister to her first college goal, she also led Missouri State to its first regular season title in 29 years as the team finished the 2024 campaign atop the MVC. Similar to how O’Keefe balanced soccer and school, as a leader on the squad, she also had to balance truth and charity.
“You have to balance making everybody happy and what’s best for the team,” she said.
O’Keefe sees her leadership experience as another tool she can use later in life.
“I think that’s probably the most valuable thing that I’ve gotten out of being a soccer player because you can take that into the workforce,” she said.
Nelson views O’Keefe’s leadership skills as one of her most valuable assets through her character in action.
“On the field, she’s a motivator,” he said. “She gets people going. She holds people responsible for our standards. And, she shows it by example too, so it’s not just words for her.”
In fact, in Nelson’s eyes, O’Keefe served as the perfect fit for his first few years as head coach.
“I wouldn’t want to do it with anyone else in regards to building this program,” he said.
For O’Keefe, Nelson and Wilson, out of all her accolades, O’Keefe’s most impressive achievement revealed itself in her ability to tackle school and soccer simultaneously as a student-athlete. Most notably, O’Keefe exhibited this quality by winning the MVC Scholar Athlete of the Year award each year from 20222024.
“It shows, like, I was able to do both (academics and athletics) at the highest level that you could do it,” O’Keefe said.
Wilson added that, in addition to her accolades, O’Keefe also presented herself as an upstanding citizen.
“Every time I come across her, she’s very,
Women’s soccer head coach Kirk Nelson described her as doing “a really good job of representing our program in the community.” He added, “there’s no stopping her — in a good way.”
very kind, very caring — definitely a personable person,” Wilson said. “Everyone in the community loves her.”
O’Keefe will look to continue to prosper as she takes on life’s next game — a career in the real world. Once she graduates, O’Keefe plans to move just south of Dallas, Texas, building a data center as a mechanical engineer for a big tech company.
A part of Missouri State will make the trip to Texas with her as her roommate and fellow former captain of the soccer team Jenna Anderson will also move to Dallas to sell insurance.
After getting to know O’Keefe on a deep level over the past seven years, Nelson picked up on one of her seminal qualities that he thinks will aid her immensely in her next journey.
“The one thing about Grace is she truly lives in the moment,” he said.
Nelson saw this attribute in action most clearly when the team traveled.
“When we’re on trips, I always see her out
there taking like a picture with her friends or her with the sunset behind it,” he said. “Or, she’s always kind of taking in where we’re at on the road or traveling, or, she’ll say, ‘Oh, I really like that song that’s on right now.’”
For Nelson, these moments testify to O’Keefe’s philosophical and humble nature.
“It’s almost like she’s in deep thought, but she’s appreciating it,” he said.
Characteristics like living in the moment make Nelson believe that O’Keefe models excellence in many facets of life, not just academics.
“I always saw (O’Keefe) as a role model for my daughter, and not just at school, but things beyond that,” he said.
As a result, Nelson sees any potential roadblock as no match for O’Keefe.
“There’s no stopping her — in a good way — and I’m excited for her,” he said.
Photo provided by Grace O’Keefe
OPINION: Navigating life as a post-grad
MAURA CURRAN Reporter Qmauracwrites
Graduation is often perceived as one of the most exciting moments for a student. As true as that is, it can also be one of the most terrifying. The good news is you are not alone; nearly all graduating students face the excitement, and then the fear of moving on from a stable life of academics.
The uncertainty and intimidation of taking on the real world as a postgrad can feel like you’re bait being thrown into a shark tank. Take it from me, a second-year senior graduating in May. Even after a second senior year, I still feel like I’m scrambling to figure out my post-graduation plans. Sometimes the moment can get lost in the anxiety of what’s to come, so let’s take a breath together.
Facing Social Pressures
About the Workforce
Something I’ve noticed through the emotional roller coaster of graduation is the pressure to find a job straight out of college. Now, I know a lot of people who have done this — even some who scored those jobs while still in school — and that’s something to be proud of. But not achieving that is not something to be ashamed of.
As I’ve been job hunting, I’ve found myself settling for positions in my industry — some that I have no interest in — just for the sake of finding a job. Otherwise known as a recipe for disaster. The right opportunity will come at the right time, as long as you’re willing to wait for it. Opportunities should not come your way based on the opinion of others, whether that be family, friends or just the stigma that you’re only worth as much as the job you’re able to get. This mindset is something I struggle with, and it has completely stripped the sense of pride and accomplishment I should have about graduating. Take in the moment of your academic success, enjoy it and then worry about your future on your own terms. Pursue the next step when you’re ready, on your own time.
The Gray Area After College
Upon graduating, you might be wondering, “What do I do now?” I sure am. Unless you’re working straight out of school, this summer will bring sunshine, sleep and a whole lot of gray. What’s next now that you’re not studying, grinding out assignments, going to meetings and classes, and working at internships? What’s next now that there’s not an upcoming fall semester coming your way? This feeling of freedom can manifest into guilt and panic about feeling lazy and underachieved.
Well, I can’t really tell you what’s next, but I can point you in the right direction: intentionality. However you choose to spend your time post-graduation, do it intentionally. Do that hobby you’ve been wanting to try, get that little bit more experience you’ve been needing, join that gym that you’ve never had time to join. Or if you’re like me, you finally have time to actually read the books on your shelf.
Spend time with friends and family, and stay productive — the right opportunity will come at the right time. So be intentional with your time and energy, and take care of yourself in the meantime so that you’re prepared for your next opportunity.
Navigating Job Searching
Finally, the big guns. I have to say, right now is an unfortunate time for us grads. Job searching as a post-grad already feels high-stakes, but with so many different institutional cuts and changes being made by our current administration, there’s a lot of uncertainty in the job market right now.
My advice? Don’t give up and get out there! As a post-grad, you’ll most likely receive a lot of no’s before you receive that yes you’ve been wanting. The job market is not something that you can control, but the way that you put yourself out there is. It can be difficult to feel confident as a postgrad beside industry professionals, but they can be a crucial step in your journey.
Putting yourself out there and making connections with the professionals you wish to work alongside one day is an important step in networking. It’s hard to accomplish your future alone, so you might as well
learn from the best. Getting involved in the community and meeting other professionals will go a long way, especially if it feels like your resume and cover letter are not doing the trick. As graduation approaches, we need to give ourselves grace and enjoy the moment. Nobody likes the feeling of uncertainty, especially
when it involves our future. But good things take time, consideration and a good understanding of what you truly want, so don’t let that get lost on the way to wherever you’re headed.
Yashasvi Moon
Excelling in MSU’s physics, math, astronomy programs
PIPER
RUEBLING Reporter Qpippiphorray6
Since being a part of the physics, astronomy and materials science department, Yashasvi Moon has made a great impression. Now graduating with a physics, math and astronomy degree, Moon is ready to take her notable achievements to further her research in the astronomy field.
Originally from Nagpur, India, Moon was brought to Missouri State University by its welcoming nature to international students, as well as the large scholarship she was rewarded with. She began studying physics and math her freshman year, and eventually added astronomy to her list of majors.
“I was very much into physics growing up, so that’s why I picked physics, but then I also really enjoyed geometry, so I picked math to do geometry stuff,” Moon said. “At the very end I found my passion towards astronomy and I think that I can use stuff that I’ve learned from physics and math to do astronomy.”
Moon also participates in several clubs and outreach activities that involve physics. She is vice president of the Society of Physics Students
(SPS), which she joined as a freshman, as well as being a part of Ozark Amateur Astronomers Club. Moon was given several connections with past members of SPS, which helped her move forward in her undergraduate career.
“SPS was a very helpful thing for me, and it provided very good resources,” Moon said, “and as vice president of SPS right now, I host meetings every other week and try to keep the participation going, and try to keep the community together.”
Along with SPS, Moon spent several years involved with Seuss Day, a learning experience for elementary through high school students in Springfield to see demonstrations of several different types of sciences and can ask questions to learn more about these sciences.
“I feel like it’s very important, especially to middle school and high school kids, to show them the importance of science,” Moon said. “Not everyone has an enthusiastic teacher and that can very much affect what career you take on in college, and I was very fortunate to have teachers who were always very helpful and very encouraging, but I know it’s not the same for everyone.”
Moon was also able to participate in internships, which helped her college career expand.
“(Moon) took the opportunity of internships, she applied for the internships at different institutions and got accepted and that’s where she made connections that were important to her and her professional development,” said Robert Mayanovic, department head of the physics, astronomy and materials science, whom Moon has had as a professor as well.
Towards the end of November 2024, Moon received the honor of having a research article published in the American Astronomical Society journal alongside Decker French, an assistant professor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
“(Moon) is tenacious,” Mayanovic said. “She loves to solve problems, and that’s what we’re all about in physics and astrophysics, and she wants to be challenged. In terms of being able to solve problems and do research, she sought out some really excellent people across the country that are working in areas that she’s interested in, and as a result of her diligent work in this area, she has published as a first author and in a scientific journal of her research
which is really a great accomplishment for an undergraduate student.”
Moon will be continuing her astronomical research at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign this fall and hopes to get her doctorate within the next five to six years, and her participation in research and outreach activities have encouraged her to continue her education. She tries to encourage younger college students to engage in research.
“My big advice is get into research as soon as possible,” Moon said. “It might not be easy because as an undergraduate you have such limited knowledge about certain fields and certain concepts, but to do research you’ll need to dive deep into a particular field, and that can be very intimidating. But nevertheless, start the process, and the sooner you get into research the better.”
plans to continue her astronomical research at the University of Illinois UrbanaChampaign with plans to obtain a doctorate.
Moon also expresses her gratitude towards the entirety of the physics department for the role they’ve played in her academic career. Without
department’s advice and support, she “wouldn’t be here,” she said. The physics department is sad to see Moon go, but excited to see where the University of Illinois takes her. The department is proud of what they give to students and “(Moon) is obviously a shining example of that,” Mayanovic said.
the
Photo provided by MSU Creative Services
Robert Mayonovic, head of the physics, astronomy and materials science department, speaking with Yashasvi Moon.
Photo by Piper Ruebling Moon
Maddy Bushnell and Morgan Sprague
Volleyball Bears highlight growth in, out of college
W. PAUL BOHLEN Sports Editor Dwpbohlen
For the past four years, only a few athletes have been mainstays of the Missouri State University volleyball team. Two of them — who each put up record book-worthy careers — were Missouri natives Maddy Bushnell, a middle blocker, and Morgan Sprague, a setter.
Bushnell, who hails from Springfield and attended Willard High School, was part of the team that led Willard to a 3-1 victory over Parkway West High School to claim the Class 4 State Championship in November 2020. In that game, she surpassed 1,000 career kills.
Willard went 125-17-5 and won four district titles while Bushnell was among their ranks. By the time she graduated, she was the No. 2 volleyball prospect in the state of Missouri, per PrepDig.
For her, Missouri State was already a place she could call home, so the decision to continue her career with the Bears was not difficult.
“I grew up around this area, I grew up going to games and getting to see the volleyball program here,” Bushnell said. “That was already a big draw to me. Being from here, I already had a lot of pride and love for Missouri State. My mom went here and it’s part of my town.”
Bushnell added that she was also drawn to stay local due to the programs Missouri State offers. An exercise and movement science major, Bushnell is finishing a degree in occupational therapy and plans to begin working in the fall.
Since she started at Missouri State, Bushnell knew she wanted to pursue a career in occupational therapy. She cited the opportunities, not just for flexibility and career paths, but for building relationships as reasons she wanted to go this path. Bushnell’s mother is a speech pathologist, and she connected with that world early on in her life.
Sprague — from Ballwin, Missouri, a suburb of St. Louis — chose to pursue her future at Missouri State for similar reasons. She’s been studying sports medicine and though her career as a Volleybear is ending with her graduation this May, her time at Missouri State is not. She’ll be sticking around to pursue her graduate studies in physical therapy.
“Being an athlete, I kind of wanted to just stay in the athletic world, so that helped me make my decision of wanting to go into PT and maybe helping younger athletes as well,” Sprague said.
Before coming to MSU to get into the physical therapy career, Sprague distinguished herself at Parkway South High School, leading her team in her senior season to their first playoff victory in over a decade. She also earned all-conference and all-district honors in three
“We’re very grateful for her just presenting that opportunity to us,” Sprague said. “But, it’s definitely been a big adjustment but it’s a lot of fun, we love it. Definitely not what we’re used to with indoor (volleyball), but it’s been awesome.”
Bushnell also noted the change, but said that the team has been welcoming to them.
“Everyone’s been very encouraging and supportive,” Bushnell said. “It’s definitely different vibes being a part of a different team, but I think we just went into it being up for whatever and I feel like the seniors and the leadership there just brought us in. We just went along with it and it’s been good.”
So far, the team is 16-5, sweeping their first two tournaments at the Beach Bears’ usual stomping grounds in Ozark, Missouri. Most recently, they split the Blazer Beach Bash in Birmingham, Alabama 2-2, beating Austin Peay State University and Tennessee Tech University while falling to the University of Alabama at Birmingham and the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.
The pair have played major roles in the Beach Bears’ lineup, taking over senior roles on the team, one which has a strong young foundation and an experienced senior class. Bushnell said that on both the indoor and beach squads, it was important to her to maintain a relationship where younger players could come to the older players and channels of communication were always open.
of her four years there.
As members of the Volleybears’ squad, both Bushnell and Sprague put together impressive careers that have earned them laurels from MSU and the Missouri Valley Conference.
In her freshman and sophomore seasons, Sprague appeared in every match the team played, starting in most of them, and playing every single set in her sophomore year. She ranked third in the Valley her freshman year, averaging 9.12 assists per set.
In her latter two seasons of her college career, Sprague was the Bears’ go-to starting setter, making the position her own, and concluding her time with the Volleybears with the third-most assists in school history, with 4,087. She is also the only athlete with more than 4,000 assists and 1,250 digs. Sprague concluded her time with 1,268.
In addition to her statistics, Sprague was MVC Freshman of the Week twice, mentioned on the Athletic Director’s Honor Roll every semester, College Sports Communicators Academic All-District in 2024 and on the MVC Academic Honor Roll twice.
Bushnell finished her freshman campaign leading all freshmen with single season-hitting percentages, with a .343 attack efficiency. She started all but two of the team’s matches that
year. Bushnell also surpassed .400 attack efficiency in 12 matches and had a season-high 15 kills against Drake University.
Despite suffering an injury halfway through her sophomore season, Bushnell still totaled 46 blocks and hit .300 and above seven times.
After recovering from her injury, Bushnell played in all but one set for her last two years of college. Also in her senior season, she surpassed 1,000 points, finishing her career with 1,147 points. Closing out her senior year, she finished ranked 12th among all Bears with a .287 attack efficiency.
Of her honors, Bushnell was All-MVC Second Team twice in 2023 and 2024, MVC Scholar-Athlete First Team those years as well, MVC All-Tournament Team in 2024, MVC All-Freshman Team, CSC Academic All-District twice, mentioned on the Athletic Director’s Honor Roll every semester, MVC Academic Honor Roll three times and a two-time recipient of the MVC Commissioner’s Academic Excellence Award.
While NCAA volleyball competes in the fall semester, the end of the semester didn’t mark the end of Bushnell and Sprague’s playing careers. Invited by head coach Ashley Emery, the pair joined the beach volleyball team to finish their final semesters as undergrads.
Though their playing careers are almost over, both student-athletes have a lot to look forward to.
In her future, Bushnell is excited to see where she ends up, whether it be working in Springfield or elsewhere, she feels she’s well set up and hopes to stay connected with her former teammates.
Sprague hopes to finish her graduate degree in physical therapy at MSU and eventually open her own practice. Both look forward to starting their own families.
Both gave advice for the next generation of Missouri State Bears, the freshmen and the incoming high school seniors alike.
“Being a collegiate athlete, it can be taxing at times, so just remembering why you started playing your sport in the first place, the joy it brings you and the amazing friendships that you’re building along the way is kind of what helps carry you through,” Bushnell said.
Sprague said students should zoom out and use that perspective to inform your time in college.
“Enjoy it,” Sprague said. “Remember there’s a bigger picture and if you can put your focus and your energy into others and take it off of yourself, I think you’ll just enjoy your experience a lot more.”
Photos by W. Paul Bohlen
Sprague (left) and Bushnell (right) have been mainstays for the Volleyball team for the past four years. The two were leaders on and off the court in their time.
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