The first-generation college student from rural Missouri plans to use her science skills to heal her community.
Makenna Fluegel is a self-made scholar driven by a genuine desire to help others. After she graduates in May, the biology major hopes to use everything she’s learned in her courses and lab work to improve the lives — and health outcomes — of others.
Fluegel became interested in chronic pain after watching her stepdad struggle with agonizing back problems. Last summer, she started focusing on the pain-relieving power of cannabinoids because she saw the toll of opioids on her community. Then, she embarked on a new project to study endometriosis after observing that women’s pain is often discounted and misunderstood. She credits her long-standing interest in neurodevelopment to her older brother, who is autistic.
“I know what it’s like to be an underdog,” she said. “I want to help other people do whatever they want to do.”
Fluegel grew up outside of Sedalia, Missouri, surrounded by a rotating cast of cats and dogs and a herd of neighboring cows. Her small school district didn’t offer Advanced Placement classes — a normal stepping stone to higher education — but she was driven to be the first person in her family to attend college. “My mom always drilled into me the importance of education,” she said. “Once you have it, no one can take it away from you.”
It wasn’t easy. On top of playing volleyball and juggling other extracurricular activities, Fluegel saved money for college by working at local fast-food restaurants. As a high school junior and a member of the Future Business Leaders of America organization, she opened a clothing consignment store in downtown Sedalia and ran it with help from her mom. While she still dabbles in the family business (the brick-and-mortar store moved online during the pandemic), Fluegel is now more committed to science than sales.
When it came time to pick a university, WashU was the natural choice for a star student who didn’t want to venture too far from home. Fluegel wanted a school that would challenge her academically and expand her worldview. A generous financial aid package sealed the deal.
“I had impostor syndrome when I arrived, but everyone just hammered home the message that I belonged,” she said. She is especially grateful for the support she received through the Deneb STARS (now Taylor STARS) program for first-generation and limited-income undergraduates. “I met other first-year students who were scared, but I also had peer mentors who assured me everything was going to be OK, and that I could get to where I wanted to be.”
Fluegel’s network of mentors and supervisors spans the university. Mary Lambo, a senior lecturer in biology, is her major advisor, and she conducts endometriosis research in the lab of Robert Gereau, director of the Washington University Pain Center.
I want to understand the health problems that women face and be a part of the solution.
In April, Fluegel was one of three WashU students to win the Barry Goldwater Scholarship, a prestigious national award for students who conduct research in the natural sciences, mathematics, and engineering. She also earned a spot in ENDURE, a highly competitive research program designed to bring undergraduates from diverse backgrounds into neuroscience.
“Makenna is among the top 1% of undergraduates that I have known in my 23 years at Washington University,” said Erik Herzog, director of the WUSTL ENDURE program and the Viktor Hamburger Distinguished Professor in Arts & Sciences. “In addition to being academically exceptional, Makenna stands out as independent, motivated, energetic, curious, humble, and outgoing.”
While research and classes would be enough to keep most students busy, Fluegel hasn’t stopped there. She’s a resident advisor, chemistry tutor, Planned Parenthood advocate, and volunteer at St. Louis Children’s Hospital. Somehow, she also has time to be a Dungeons & Dragons master and the president of the WashU Curling Club.
She can’t entirely explain how she finds the time or energy for so many activities. She just knows she wants to make the most of her time as a WashU student. “It helps that I enjoy everything I do.”
Makenna Fluegel
Hometown: Sedalia, MO
Year: Senior
Major: Biology
Future plans: Travel and conduct research abroad. Become a biomedical scientist who investigates women’s health conditions. "I want to understand the health problems that women face and be a part of the solution."
