On the fast track

On the fast track

Mackenzie Moore crashed the party when the Albion College volleyball program recognized the seniors after the four set victory over Trine University on Wednesday.

The biology major is going to graduate in three years and move on to a graduate program in pursuit of a master's degree in public health. Moore hopes her academic journey will include medical school.

Originally from Quincy, Mich., Moore was dual enrolled at Kellogg Community College for her final two years of high school. She arrived with six units of college credit which is equivalent to a semester and a half of work at Albion.

"I always knew I had the ability to graduate early," Moore said. "But my original plan was to double major (in psychology in addition to biology) so that would have taken the full four years."

Moore will graduate from Albion with a resume rich with academic accomplishments, community service and involvement in campus organizations. For example:

  • She is an Albion College Fellow, having achieved at least a 3.7 grade point average for three successive semesters.
  • In addition to her major, Moore is a member of Albion's newly established Lisa and James Wilson Institute for Medicine and of the Honors Institute. She has been inducted into Alpha Epsilon Delta, the national health pre-professional honor society.
  • She represents the volleyball team on Albion's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and is a member of the Delta Gamma sorority.
  • A member of Global Medical Brigades, she traveled to Sonora, Nicaragua between the fall and winter semesters last year to assist with a three-day clinic. During the clinic, Moore and her classmates performed triage where medical history and vitals were taken, assisted dentists, shadowed doctors in consults, helped in the pharmacy, and held a talk with children while teaching proper oral hygiene. The last work day was focused on public health as the group mixed cement by hand to lay flooring for six homes in the community of La Corneta.

Moore said her current course load includes biochemistry, physiology, physics and baroque art and she said her schedule for most semesters included three courses in the sciences.

Factor in her extracurricular activities, and Moore has mastered the art of time management and studying on bus rides to matches while also accepting the sacrifices she's had to make.

"I write my schedule out ahead of time," Moore said. "I take advantage of an hour between classes. There are certain things I can't do on the bus, like reading because the bumps give me a headache. I typically save my online biochemistry and physics homework for that because it's a simple click and submit. Paper writing is OK on the bus, too.

"While I always feel like I don't have enough time for everything and that is a struggle, I don't think I have missed anything because I have prioritized what is important," she added. "(Any sacrifices I've made socially) has been worth it because it's developing me into the person and physician I want to be. In an ideal world, I would have more time for my friends than I do right now. I try to make as much time for them as I can."

Volleyball, she adds, is essential because it provides a two-hour study break with her friends and physical activity.

Moore pointed out her support system at Albion includes volleyball coaches Kristin de St. Aubin and Katelyn Beauregard; Brad Rabquer, director of the Wilson Institute for Medicine and associate professor of biology; and biology professor and research adviser Roger Albertson.

Moore believes she will leave Albion ready to make a difference in the world. After graduate school she plans on applying to medical school, and the Wilson Institute for Medicine will assist her with her application essays and interview preparation.

"While it is bittersweet to be done at Albion, I'm excited for the future and the opportunities I will have," Moore said. "Albion provided me with so many opportunities to grow as a person, from everything I'm involved in to the experiences I've had has turned me into who I am.

"I can focus when there is a lot going on around me," she added. "It's about keeping perspective, in general, and knowing what is worth getting angry or upset about."

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