Allison Ahrens knows she’s in the right place to begin her career. Even when she toured another school, she felt she was being called to the University of Missouri in Columbia.
Ahrens is a freshman studying health sciences on the pre-professional track with a minor in public health. Her passion for medicine was heavily inspired by her upbringing in Linn Creek, Missouri.
At just sixteen, she received her Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) and Patient Care Technician (PCT) license through a health science technical school program at her high school. She worked in clinicals and gained experience through all four years of high school.
“I always knew I wanted to be a doctor but realized that I wanted to be a family doctor,” Ahrens said. “And then seeing the health disparities that people face in my town made me want to become a rural family doctor.”
During her Mizzou campus visit, Ahrens discovered that a major in health sciences aligned with her career goals. She also met her future advisor, Shannah Lewis, who introduced her to TRiO Student Support Services and encouraged her to apply. As a first-generation student, she had a lot of questions about entering college, and TRiO was there to guide her.
In her first semester, she took a course called College Success Seminar (SSC1150) with a separate TRiO section for discussion. There, she met students with similar backgrounds and experiences, including a pre-physical therapy student, who became her study partner.
Now, Ahrens works at MU Hospital as a Care Team Associate. It’s a competitive program, especially for freshmen, but her extensive experience in high school prepared her for this moment. The hospital is walking distance from campus, she interacts with patients, and she works in float pools, so she can be assigned to any department in the whole hospital.
“It’s a little bit of a choose-your-own-adventure feel because you never know where you’re going to be at.” Ahrens said.
When she’s not at the hospital, she’s actively involved in the College of Health Sciences Student Council and MU Pre-Med Scholars. She also helped plan activities for Mizzou’s College of Health Sciences Week.
Looking ahead, Ahrens is interested in Mizzou’s early admission programs to medical school, particularly the Lester R. Bryant Scholars Pre-Admissions Program, which is geared toward medical students from rural backgrounds.
Ahrens’ favorite resource on campus is the one-on-one tutoring offered by TRiO. She appreciates its accessibility and the flexibility of being able to meet with her tutor right before taking her biology exam during finals week.
The immense support she receives from TRiO plays an important role in Ahrens’ Mizzou journey.
Next, she wants to give back to the program by joining their student organization, TRiO Student Organization (TSO).
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