Roni Ogden is a Health Science major with a Pre-Professional emphasis from Lamar, Missouri. Roni plans to attend med school after graduation and pursue a career in anesthesiology.

“My dad is an orthopedic surgeon, so I grew up with a healthcare influence,” Roni says. “As a child, one of my favorite toys was the knee replacement model my dad brought home from the office one day. Before I even knew how to spell my own name, I had a favorite bone (the femur, and frankly I stand by that today). While my dad in no way pressured me to follow in his medical footsteps, science (specifically life science!) was consistently my favorite subject in school. I’ve loved every medical simulation I’ve gotten to experience and, as most of us will tell you, it’s a nice opportunity to help make a difference in people’s lives.”

Why should students choose Mizzou?

I firmly believe Mizzou has something for everyone and it can be exactly what you make it. I think Mizzou really just gives a lot of opportunity. We’re large enough that you feel like you’re at a college vs a big high school, but also small enough to feel like a community (and I can usually make all of my walks during my 10 minute interval between classes). We have beautiful scenery and traditions, and Columbia is the perfect college town. And if you like sports, our athletics teams are super fun to watch and the sports pass is a great value.

What advice would you give to incoming Mizzou CHS students?

My advice would be to reach out! All of our CHS staff that I have interacted with have been super kind and excited to help. I asked one of my professors if she recommended a study abroad program after she mentioned being a part of it during a lecture and now I’m set to go on that same program for the Summer of 2025. I talked with another professor about one of the emphasis programs offered and she helped me decide how best to proceed if it turned out that was something I wanted to pursue. As long as you are respectful and courteous, it can’t hurt to reach out if you have questions, whether about learning material or getting experiences.

What else are you involved with on campus?

I am a member of Marching Mizzou and Kappa Kappa Psi, which is a National Honorary Service Fraternity dedicated to the service of University band ensembles.