Meramec surpasses expectations
By: BILLY GARDNER
Staff Writer
Community colleges are sometimes viewed as sub-par institutions of learning. Many students at STLCC-Meramec may not realize the opportunities that are available to them upon leaving if they work hard. Around campus, there are countless students aspiring to greatness.
Chemistry professor Reni Joseph said, “There are students here who have scored 99 percent on the PCAT (Pharmacy College Admissions Test). Many students have done all their math and science here and have gone on the be doctors.”
Stepping into an Organic Chemistry II lab, people are pursuing careers such as anesthesiologists, veterinarians, pharmacists, physician’s assistants and doctors. One student had a unique perspective on the community college experience, having already received a bachelor’s from a university.
Lee Miesner grew up in Perryville, Mo., roughly 100 miles south of Meramec. He graduated in 2006 from Perryville High School. Like many students, Miesner was not sure what he wanted to do at 18. He went to Southeast Missouri State and attained a degree in mathematics education in 2010. He moved to Madisonville, Ky. to teach high school math.
After two years of teaching, Miesner decided that it was not what he wanted to do. After visits to his wife’s endocrinologist and his first son’s 30 day stay in NICU (Neonatal intensive care unit), Miesner decided that he would like to be a doctor. He came back to Missouri to begin working toward becoming an endocrinologist.
Lee was faced with a choice between UMSL and Meramec. Miesner offered some insight into what he had heard leading up to his decision.
“I was told by one of the chemistry professors from the University of Missouri-St. Louis that I needed to make sure to take organic chemistry from them so it wouldn’t look like I avoided a university to get easy A’s,” Miesner said.
Ultimately, Miesner decided on STLCC to avoid accruing extra debt. He began taking classes at Meramec in the fall of 2012. Now that he is almost done at STLCC, Miesner said, “I’ll take any organic test from UMSL … All my professors here have doctorate degrees in their respective fields and they are not here to pass out easy A’s.”
Miesner has recently been accepted to medical school. He will begin attending the Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine. His story demonstrates that students at Meramec should not limit our aspirations because we are at a community college. STLCC can prove to be a fantastic stepping stone in pursuing our dreams.
