I have written this letter about Macioe Firsching, whom I have come to know as a Biology major here at Missouri Western State University. I have been very impressed by Macioe, and I am pleased to tell you why.

I have observed Macioe to have very good academic ability. She has the capacity to approach new and difficult subjects and to build on a growing knowledge base. It is also apparent that Macioe is well prepared for success in college. I think a significant amount of credit for that should go to her support network, including her family and the teachers and staff at your school.

Macioe and I first worked together in the classroom and laboratory settings of my Genetics class. She was an asset to the class as a whole and performed very well in the class. She showed an ability to learn course material that covered classical, molecular, and population genetics. I also noticed that Macioe was a contributor to class discussions. Often the discussions covered controversial or sensitive topics, and Macioe expressed her views with respect for others. In the laboratory part of Genetics, Macioe showed a good level of responsibility, working individually and in teams. She was able to make connections between the lecture material and the laboratory activities. She learned how to work independently, to address difficult original challenges, to confront failed experiments with effective trouble- shooting, and to work collaboratively with others.

Macioe also took an Honors Colloquium on Personal Genomics that I was privileged to teach in 2021. The class met weekly for discussions of the various readings we assigned ourselves on topics that included personal genomic services, personalized medicine, genomics and the law, evolution of the human genome, multiomics, and epigenomics. I appreciated having Macioe in the class for several reasons. She was always prepared, having completed the readings and prepared discussion questions for the class. She showed an intellectual curiosity about the topics that often led our class in interesting directions. She clearly expressed her viewpoints on the issues we discussed, and tried hard to understand those of others. I can confidently say that the overall learning experience the Honors Colloquium students had was much improved because Macioe was there.

Macioe always displayed a good attitude in class. She often came by my office to ask for help understanding difficult material. I also know that she shared that understanding with others in an informal genetic study group. Macioe and I had some interesting conversations both in class and outside of class about the practice of science, the practice of medicine, and about the challenges that advances in each continue to bring to individuals, families, and society. I expect that she will continue to be engaged in these issues.
I have also found Macioe to be very personable. She seems to get along well with almost everyone she comes into contact with. This made her a good team player during group lab projects in Genetics lab and led to more productive and respectful discussions in both Genetics and Personal Genomics. In my opinion, her positive attitude positively affected the learning by other students.

I think Macioe is well on her way to a rewarding career in biology. She clearly has the academic preparedness and personal drive to find a path that will not only be rewarding for her, but will benefit others. Thank you for the role you and your staff played in preparing Macioe to succeed here in college and beyond.

— Dr. Todd Eckdahl, Professor of Biology, Missouri Western State University