“Don’t write off Missouri State-West Plains. For a school its size, it has so much to offer in academic and travel opportunities. I made lifelong friends in the short couple of years I was there.”
The opportunity to start college early as a junior in high school allowed Emily Redus to jumpstart her education journey at Missouri State University-West Plains (MSU-WP) and led her on an exciting path to her current occupation as a registered dietitian.
As part of the university’s early degree program, Emily was able to take advantage of the full college experience at MSU-WP by participating in the William and Virginia Darr Honors Program. She also had the opportunity to study abroad at Liaoning Normal University in Dalian, China, as part of university’s study away program.
“The opportunity to study abroad gave me the chance to be immersed in a different culture, learn new perspectives, build relationships, and gain confidence in who I am,” Emily said., “My time in China helped me get to know myself better and figure out my interests and passions.”
While studying abroad, Emily grew as a person, and that growth led her to choose her career path in preventative healthcare.
“The classes and projects encouraged me to question opinions and values I’d always held and become a better listener and citizen by learning from the ideas of experiences of my classmates.”
Emily found other opportunities to grow in the Darr Honors Program. She credits this program for enhancing her critical thinking skills and becoming a more empathetic person after graduation.
“(Director) Alex Pinnon always encouraged open dialogue in our classes, and even if there wasn’t agreement on the topics discussed, he cultivated a respectful environment for discourse on any topic,” Emily said.
The small class sizes and approachable instructors gave Emily confidence to seek help when she needed it. These benefits of a small campus helped her feel valued as a student and accomplish her goals. She also gives credit to the faculty on campus and feels extremely fortunate to have benefitted from their knowledge and passion.
“My time at Missouri State-West Plains was such a rich starting point in my professional career thanks to the hard work of people like Kathy Morrison, Alex Pinnon and Judy Carr along with many other instructors who I had the pleasure of learning so much from,” Emily said.
“Missouri State-West Plains gave me a springboard to be successful in every academic and professional endeavor I decided to undertake along the way.”
After graduating from MSU-WP, Emily attended College of the Ozarks for her bachelor’s degree in nutrition and dietetics before completing a didactic internship at Cox College, a process that took seven years. Emily became a registered dietitian and now works as an outpatient dietitian at CoxHealth.
Emily counsels and educates patients every day on how they can improve their health. To do so, she works to understand her patients’ needs and barriers they may face.
“The work I get to do every day is incredibly fulfilling and I’m so privileged to meet and help some of the loveliest humans,” Emily said.
Emily’s one piece of advice for prospective MSU-WP students is to take advantage of all the campus has to offer. From academic programs to various campus activities, these experiences guided Emily to the right career path for her.
