Griesemer gives back to the community

Much of college life consists of going to school and working to pay for school. For University of Missouri-St. Louis student Jeff Griesemer, community service also plays a major role in his daily routine. Griesemer, a junior majoring in biology and minoring in chemistry, belongs to many organizations, both on and off campus. "My biggest focus besides school is SGA," he said. Griesemer is an active member of the Student Government Association, where he serves on the executive committee as comptroller and as chair of the interest and service committee. Griesemer is also the program chair for the Residence Hall Association and created events such as "Haunted Hall," a Halloween program that catered to local children. He is secretary for the Pierre Laclede Honors College Student Association and the social chair for the Catholic Newman Center. Griesemer is also applying to be a Resident Assistant for the 2003 to 2004 school year. His off-campus endeavors include serving as an adult leader for his old Boy Scout troop and volunteering at Barnes Jewish Hospital doing research. He is currently involved in two research studies, which concern trends in geriatric abdominal pain and trends in EKG readings. Griesemer also works at UM-St. Louis's biogenetics lab. When he isn't focusing on school or service, Griesemer enjoys outdoor activities such as backpacking and rock climbing. He also plays basketball when he has time. Griesemer's original intention when coming to UM-St. Louis was to earn a degree in business. "UMSL [and its business school] had one of the highest accreditation ratings in Missouri, even over some of the schools that cost more money. Here, I could get more for my money. There are a lot of good, underrated programs at UMSL," Griesemer explained. However, after beginning a business degree, Griesemer found that area of study "unfulfilling." Working at the University Child Development Center, he found himself interested in the sciences as well as in children. He credits biology professor Elizabeth Kellogg with helping him make the decision to change to a biology major. From there he decided to pursue a career in the medical field. "I'd like to be a physician. I'm not exactly sure what area, but I'm leaning toward family practice," Griesemer said. "As a doctor, I'd like to offer quality care to low income families and people that may not be able to afford medical care." Griesemer's ties to community service at UM-St. Louis and the surrounding area will not end with his graduation. "I'd like to stay active with the alumni association at UMSL and help this school as much as I can as it grows," he said. He also hopes to see "The Big Event" become a significant UM-St. Louis project. "The Big Event" is a community service project that began at Texas A&M and has spread to colleges across the nation. On a designated day, students perform multiple service projects in their area. UM-St. Louis has taken part in "The Big Event" for four years now and is the only university in St. Louis that participates. Griesemer describes himself as "A goal-oriented, proactive college student trying to do as much for the community as possible." He advises students, "Be assertive. There is a lot on this campus right at your fingertips. All you have to do is go after it and it's yours."

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