Allison

Sioux Falls, SD

Allison Cross
Major: Biology '17
Campus: Yankton

Why Mount Marty?

Seeing Allison Cross today, it’s almost hard to imagine her as the timid freshman who started at Mount Marty four years ago. The Student Government Association president, who’s also treasurer of the Biochem Club, a peer tutor and member of the MMC volleyball and track teams, has thrived during her time in Yankton — academically, athletically and socially — and her on-campus involvement offers just a glimpse of the growth she’s experienced in college. 

“I used to be a shy little freshman who didn’t branch out much at all,” she says of her early days at MMC. “Now, I’m a senior leader on campus, and it’s helped me branch out and meet more people and gain news skills that I can and will apply to my future endeavors.”

Mount Marty’s Impact

Allison initially came to MMC for the nursing program but eventually found her niche in biology, where she says Dr. James Sorenson, Dr. Tamara Pease and Lisa Wilcockson have been great mentors and supporters over the years. After graduation, she plans to continue her studies at the Teton Science School Graduate Program in Jackson, Wyoming.

“I will be getting my master’s in environment and natural resource management,” she says. “MMC helped me get here by providing me with an advisor and faculty members who were willing to go out of their way to make sure I was successful.”

Although Allison says she’s become much more confident in her study of focus through a vast array of science classes, her non-major classes, such as religious studies, history and art, have influenced her as well.

“They’ve also helped me gain an appreciation for the liberal arts aspect of MMC,” she says.

Athletics and extracurriculars have also contributed to a well-rounded education.

“My favorite parts of MMC in my four years have definitely been competing as a collegiate athlete, going to nationals in track, traveling abroad to Europe over spring break and meeting so many new people,” she says. 

The MMC Values

Given her future in the field of science, Allison looks forward to a career of learning and discovery. And thanks to MMC, she’s confident in the road ahead. 

“Lifelong learning is definitely something that I apply to my everyday life,” she says of the MMC value. “When a new opportunity or challenge comes my way, I treat it as a way to learn something new. In the field of science, new things are being discovered every day, and lifelong learning has become a core value for my own self.”