By Brian Consiglio, consigliob@missouri.edu
Photo courtesy of Mary Grace Cantalin

Growing up in St. Louis, Mary Grace Cantalin remembers how excited her three older siblings — all of whom attended the University of Missouri — were to tell her about their college experiences whenever they came home to visit. Their Tiger spirit was contagious.

“My siblings loved everything about Mizzou: the friends they made from all over the country, the rigorous academics, the football games, the fraternities and sororities, and the opportunities to get involved both inside and outside the classroom,” Cantalin said. “After hearing their stories, I couldn’t wait to follow in their footsteps. When it came time for me to attend college, it was a no-brainer where I would go.”

Just like her older sister, Cantalin enrolled in the Sinclair School of Nursing after two years as a pre-nursing student. She volunteered at Tiger Pantry (Mizzou’s on-campus food pantry), shadowed different departments in University Hospital and joined the Tri Delta sorority.

“At Mizzou, what you put into your experience is what you get out of it,” Cantalin said. “I am so thankful for the faculty and mentors who helped push me outside my comfort zone. Those experiences helped me get into nursing school.”

When reflecting on her past two years as a nursing student, Cantalin is proud of the dedication she showed and appreciates the people who helped her along the way.

“There were a lot of long days with schoolwork and clinical hours, but it has been extremely rewarding to become more confident and realize everything I am capable of,” Cantalin said. “The faculty and counselors here are so invested in the success of Mizzou students. I can’t wait to start my career as a nurse and be so proud to say I am from the Sinclair School of Nursing.”

After graduation this week, Cantalin plans to return home to St. Louis to work as a nurse in the emergency room at St. Mary’s Hospital. She credits the resources and hands-on learning opportunities Mizzou provided for feeling prepared to enter the workforce.

“The nursing school’s state-of-the-art simulation labs have manikins with their own vital signs that talked back to us, so we learned in real time how to treat patients with changing conditions,” Cantalin said. “The Student Success Center helped me with my resume when I was applying for jobs, the Career Fair opened my eyes to different opportunities and the Writing Center helped me become a better writer.”

For those considering where to attend college, Cantalin stressed that Mizzou values the uniqueness of each individual while providing camaraderie and a welcoming sense of community both academically and socially.

“Whether it was raising money for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital with my sorority sisters or living with my best friends in a house on East Campus, Mizzou gave me the best experiences,” Cantalin said. “When I reflect back on my time at Mizzou, I will think of the friends I made and the memories we will have forever.”