Chemistry Major MaryAnn Romagna Named McKendree University's 2025-2026 Student Laureate
Lebanon, IL (10/20/2025) — MaryAnn Romagna, a senior from Eagle, Wis., was recently named this year's recipient of the Abraham Lincoln Civic Engagement Award and Student Laureate of the Lincoln Academy of Illinois. This is the state's highest student honor for leadership, service, and excellence in curricular and extracurricular activities, and it is awarded to a noteworthy senior from each college and university. Romagna and other top students in the state were honored with this award by The Lincoln Academy of Illinois on Saturday, Oct. 18 in Springfield, Ill.
Romagna is an academically-exceptional chemistry major with her sights set on medical school. This year, she won the competitive American Chemical Society St. Louis Local Section Outstanding Junior Award. Described by her recommenders as energetic, organized, and proactive, Romagna is a university model citizen whose kindness, care for others, scholastic record, and initiative will make her a paragon in the medical profession.
Upon arriving at McKendree, Romagna realized the need for a pre-medical student organization. She rallied other like-minded students and founded the Medicine, Education, and Development for Low-Income Families Everywhere (MEDLIFE) Pre-Health Profession Organization, which partners with low-income communities in Latin America and Africa to improve access to medicine and education. The university's chapter also serves local communities as students have served in projects such as painting rooms for children in foster care.
"The process of getting into medical school is really rigorous, and a lot of the best advice comes from people who have already been through it. The goal of forming McKendree MEDLIFE was to build a stronger sense of community for pre-med students and create a space to share resources, connect with alumni, and learn from each other," Romagna said. "We focus on local volunteering, hosting guest speakers to share their career experiences, and participating in service trips abroad."
Last summer, Romagna served as a medical volunteer in Lima, Peru. With the help of three other members of the McKendree MEDLIFE chapter, she helped build a staircase that allowed families to safely reach water sources and job sites. This summer, they went to Guatemala and installed stoves to direct toxic fumes out of houses to prevent lung disease.
"It was really impactful to see how the communities there work together to face adversity," Romagna added. "I was not expecting to learn as much as I did from the communities, especially when it came to leadership. Basic resources we take for granted in the United States, like clean water, are a scarcity in some of the communities we were helping. Despite this, they kept a positive attitude, which is something that I think back to anytime I have a hard day, because it makes me appreciate what I have."
Romagna is a deeply involved student at McKendree. She has worked as a Student Academic Mentor (SAM) for science and mathematics, a lab preparation assistant, a member of the Rotaract organization, a companion for terminally-ill patients, and a high school powerlifting coach. She is also a member of the university's powerlifting team. While she has varied interests, she also has the drive and discipline to pursue them.
"Showing up every day is what I know will help me accomplish my goals. I honestly don't think I'm doing anything that other people couldn't do. It's more of an accumulation of taking things one day at a time and saying 'yes' to new opportunities," Romagna said. "I also have a strong support system. My science professors have supported and facilitated the research I have done at McKendree and have made learning new things exciting, and my coach, Brad Bechel, has helped me grow outside of academics through powerlifting, where I've learned the kind of discipline that carries over into everything else that I do."
Romagna's current research project, which began this spring, involves developing visualization tools for breast cancer surgery by assisting in developing a new dye that would help make procedures safer and more precise without causing allergic reactions in patients. Recently, she helped initiate a research team in the Division of Science and Mathematics to study the microbiome and its powerful influence on health outcomes.
This summer, Romagna will participate in the Medical Scientist Training Program at Washington University. After graduation, she plans to work toward becoming a physician.
"I am still exploring specialty options, but my biggest interest is in psychiatry. Along the way, I want to stay involved with research," Romagna added.
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