Commencement is coming up on Saturday, May 11, and we’re highlighting some of the incredible students who will soon be alumni of the College of Health Sciences.

Read on to learn more about Cayce Rose of St. Louis, Missouri, who is completing her Bachelor of Health Science in Health Science with a pre-professional emphasis.

Favorite Quote:

“Comparison is the thief of joy.”

What does graduating from the Mizzou College of Health Sciences mean to you?

It is a representation of all my effort, involvement and growth at Mizzou. I truly feel like a different person coming out of college, and I’m so excited to enter the next stage of my life. At the same time, it’s a bittersweet moment because I will miss all the great things Mizzou has offered me.

What was one of your favorite classes within your degree track?

Contemporary Health Issues! That class was super eye-opening to the kinds of factors that affect health beyond genetics or behaviors. It definitely changed my perspective going forward. The introduction to social determinants of health is an important topic for anyone going into medicine, and it has come up in many of my classes since then. I also had an amazing professor teaching that class, Dr. Jenna Wintemberg!

What activities have you been involved in along the way?

I am a part of the executive team for the Mizzou Education Bank, an organization fighting education insecurity on campus by making school supplies more accessible. We also do service around the Columbia community.

I am a member of the Tri-Beta Biological Honors Society. After being paired with an amazing mentor who taught me so much, I chose to also become a mentor to a younger pre-medical student.

I went on service trips to Panama and Peru with Global Medical Training (GMT)! We assisted local physicians by setting up clinics in rural areas. 

I co-led a volunteer experience at a hospital in St. Joseph, Missouri, through Mizzou Alternative Breaks. We learned a lot about the community and served in various ways.

I interned at an amazing place called Spectrum Health Care. It’s an office that offers donation-based STI services, free or low-cost birth control and long-term HIV management. 

I was involved in research: I joined the Infant Cognition Lab, where I gathered data from both infants and preschoolers! I am also a part of the Winuthayanon Lab, a reproductive research lab at NextGen. I help out with the projects that are currently in the works!  

Who helped you during your college journey?

Mizzou connected me with so many incredible and supportive people. The professors, research PIs, graduate students, supervisors, advisors and friends who know me have done nothing but uplift me. I can’t thank them enough. I would not be here if not for them!

What memories stand out from your time at Mizzou?

Meeting the amazing people in GMT and sharing so many experiences with them is something I’ll never forget. We got to learn so much from the physicians, the community, and each other on our trips abroad.

What are your plans after graduation?

I’ll be staying in Columbia for a gap year while I work, volunteer and apply to medical schools!  I’m really interested in reproductive medicine at the moment, so that is the current plan.

What advice do you have for current and future students?

You are in control of your college experience. Try as many new things as you can because Mizzou has so much to offer. Pursue your passions and find what you love. If something scares you, that’s an even better reason to do it. Whatever you do, give it your all because your time here is a lot shorter than you’ll realize.

Anything else you would like to share?

Shout-out to my best friend for being my biggest fan, my rock and an incredible light in my life. I couldn’t ask for a better college roommate, and I wouldn’t be here without you!