It's no secret: it takes dedication, hard work and support to make it through college and into a Ph.D. program. 2021 Southeast Alum Jarett Seabaugh is living proof.
The Oak Ridge, Missouri, native is a problem solver. And, he loves helping people. His passions combined and led to a double major in biomedical sciences and microbiology with a minor in chemistry. During his undergrad at SEMO, Seabaugh discovered a love of research.
Seabaugh got to work with a genetics professor in the lab and was quickly identified as a student who was eligible for a graduation with distinction project. The subject: antibiotic-resistant probiotic bacteria. Seabaugh discovered that his research subject was part of a major problem in the medical field and that it's something the research community at large is working to learn more about.
And that's when he decided his dreams went far beyond a bachelor's degree.
Seabaugh credits Southeast's size and the caring faculty for much of his success. He got to know his advisor very early in his academic career and got to know him on a personal level. The research experience he gained at Southeast helped him bypass a master's degree program and instead be accepted directly in his Ph.D. program.
"So that relationship I had with him, it was really important because not only did I go to him for questions in lab, but also questions in class and just general questions about like, 'Hey I think I want to do a Ph. D. What do you think?'"
Jarett Seabaugh
Seabaugh is now a Ph.D. student at the University of Missouri. He had multiple interviews set up at several prominent universities in his pursuit of a program but landed a spot at Mizzou almost immediately after his interview.
According to Seabaugh, those he interviewed with commented on how impressed they've been by the caliber of students coming to them from Southeast.
Now at Mizzou, Seabaugh is going to class and working in a lab rotation. He'll then take part in the Molecular Pathogenesis and Therapeutics program.
He says getting exposed to lab work and research during his time as an undergraduate at Southeast prepared him for success at Mizzou.
Seabaugh is thriving at Mizzou. And, he encourages all current and future Redhawks to make connections with anyone and everyone they can at Southeast. Everything from tutoring sessions to friendships, to his close relationship with his advisor and professors, set him up for success.
"That relationship meant a lot. It gave me confidence because there were faculty I would talk with about classes and my future plans, and they would see that I had a goal and the potential to reach it."