For Missouri State University senior Macey Maas Hauver, her goal of becoming a nurse is within reach.

This December, Maas Hauver will graduate from MSU with her nursing degree.

Realizing a goal

From Kearney, Missouri, Maas Hauver grew up in a family of nurses, so she was always aware of the field. As she got older, her enjoyment of biology and health sciences inspired her to make nursing a career of her own.

Maas Hauver chose to attend Missouri State due to its nursing program.

“I visited the campus while I was in high school. I thought it was a pretty campus and the people seemed friendly. My decision was made easier because of the nursing school,” she said.

She came to Missouri State in 2020. She believes the nursing program has prepared her well for the workforce.

“Our clinicals at varying locations and different units, as well as the clinical instructors have been very helpful,” she said.

Serving in the National Guard

While a student, Maas Hauver was also juggling service in the Missouri Air National Guard. Initially, she joined the National Guard to help her pay for school. But it quickly became much more to her.

“Along the way, it has made me grow a lot through basic training and my job as a logistics planner for the 139th Airlift Wing,” she said. “The National Guard has been a huge benefit, beyond just putting me through school.”

For her job, she helps with planning for deployments and exercises for her base.

According to Maas Hauver, the National Guard has changed her life.

“I had to take off the first semester of my sophomore year for basic training and tech school. But that taught me a lot about perseverance and gave me a stronger mentality,” she said. “This journey has also given me many experiences that I wouldn’t have had otherwise in college.”

Balancing school and her National Guard obligations has been tough at times for Maas Hauver. She has to attend drills one weekend every month and sometimes assist with other responsibilities. For example, she had to be at an air show recently for a few days.

While the journey has been challenging, the people around her have made the process easier.

“Everyone’s very supportive and understanding, especially my professors and my leadership in the National Guard,” she said.

Get involved

She encourages current and future students to network and find ways to stay engaged.

“Get involved in whatever you can to make the most of your time here. And always go out of your way to put yourself out there and talk to someone in your classes,” Maas Hauver said.

She was involved in Delta Zeta sorority and the Student Nursing Organization on campus. She notes her favorite part about her time at Missouri State is the lifelong friendships and connections she has made, especially in nursing school.

Future ambitions

Maas Hauver already has a job lined up – as a pediatric intensive care unit nurse at Children’s Mercy in Kansas City.

She also has plans to continue with the National Guard even after her contract ends in 2026.

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