Grindstone
Staci Exceus '16
“Come in focused and work hard,” is the advice that Staci Exceus ’16 offered to her fellow peers. “But it’s not enough to start that way,” she continued, “you have to keep it that way.”
Hailing from Miami, Flordia, Exceus is a biology student who is working towards a career as a physician assistant. When asked if she participated in any extracurricular activities, she shook her head and said, “I am really focused on my classes. I utilize my time to study and to seek out post-graduate opportunities.”
Considering her dreams to work abroad in Haiti’s medical field as someone who can help establish a more stable healthcare system, her “keep your nose to the grindstone” attitude is well justified.
“My family is from Haiti, so I want to learn as much as I can in order to better the medical practices within that nation. It is my hope that I will be educated enough to improve the knowledge of Haiti’s medical students,” she stated.
Exceus knows that she has a long path ahead of her and she’s prepared for it. Thanks to her dedicated professors, she knows that she is well equipped for any exam or real world challenge.
“The biology department is phenomenal,” she said. “Our professors are wonderfully intelligent people.”
While she works hard to better herself and aims to take on much in the future, she knows that she couldn’t have done it alone. Alumni giving and scholarship aid has provided her the opportunities to be successful. Even though her focus is on helping the people of Haiti, she has not forgotten that MCLA is where she is now and that it will eventually be where she is from.
“I participate in the Phonathon program because it is my way of making sure that the students that come after me will have the same opportunities that I was given,” she declared. “This isn’t just a job; this is me making a difference. In the same way, Phonathon isn’t just about our alumni giving money; it’s about them supporting my peers and I in our journey to complete our education at their alma mater.”