Alexis Stegner can attest to the fact opportunity comes at unexpected moments. A winning design can come from a day of hard-work and relying on the help of a few friends.
Stegner’s friends and family voted in the Be a Bear T-shirt Contest for her design during the week of February 19 – 23. Nearly 3,000 voters pushed Stegner’s design to a popular-vote victory. Her winning T-shirt is off to the printers and you can purchase yours starting March 17 in the Missouri State Bookstore.
“I kind of feel like it’s me going out with a bang. It’s kind of like my last hoorah.”
In her last semester at MSU, Stegner took a shot and entered the contest. Winning, however, was not even on her radar. “I’m honestly very shocked that I even made it that far,” she said.
Stegner’s family and friends had no doubt she would come out on top. Her close friends spent the week campaigning for her design on social media. Her grandmother spent the week of voting sending Stegner almost hourly updates on the polls.
The Stegner family is already planning on getting a group picture in their Be a Bear 2018 T-shirts on a family cruise. “I’m supposed to buy around twelve different shirts,” she joked.
Samples from Stegner’s design portfolio
Stegner’s time at MSU has consisted of pursuing her passions in art and design and has allowed her to launch her career as a young professional. Her passion for the arts translates over into graphic design, painting, sculpture work and wood working.
As her time at Missouri State comes to a close, she couldn’t help but feel nostalgic. “Last night, I was doing homework and I just started crying because I’m going to miss doing homework and studying all night for tests. Even though I hate it now, ten years from now I’m going to miss it,” she said.
While she isn’t quite sure what the future holds, Stegner knows she will always have a home at Missouri State. Now, Missouri State will always have a piece of her.
She said, “Even though I’ll no longer be here next year, those shirts may still be worn by other people that are here. So it’s like I am leaving part of me here with Missouri State.”
About the Be a Bear T-Shirt Contest
The Be a Bear T-Shirt Contest is a way MSU students can engage with the university and help their fellow students. Each year students submit their designs for consideration, and a committee of professionals and students chooses finalists. In 2018, the student body voted to select the design they wanted to see printed. Proceeds from the T-shirt are donated by the Missouri State Bookstore to help support the Emergency Scholarship Fund.
The Be a Bear 2018 T-shirt can be purchased on March 17 and at Missouri State’s 113 birthday party on March 20 from 11 – 2 p.m. The Be a Bear T-shirt Contest was created and sponsored by the Alumni Association and Student Alumni Association.
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