Family tradition

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Dec. 2, 2024

Maddie and Max Meystrik always knew where they wanted to go to college: the Trulaske College of Business at the University of Missouri.

The siblings from Moberly, Missouri - who are both in the Cornell Leadership Program (CLP), Trulaske Student Ambassadors and members of the Alpha Kappa Psi professional business fraternity - applied only to Mizzou. After all, Tiger blood runs in the family.

"What can I say, we both love Mizzou," Maddie Meystrik said.

Older than her brother by three years, Maddie Meystrik followed in the footsteps of her father and uncle by enrolling in the School of Accountancy's 150-hour program, which combines a Bachelor of Science in Accounting with a Master of Accountancy in just five years. Along the way, she has completed three internships and secured a full-time position with KPMG's tax department in St. Louis, where she will start after graduating in May 2025.

Max Meystrik, a sophomore and proud "math nerd," is triple majoring in finance, mathematics and statistics with ambitions to enter the world of quantitative finance. His dream is to one day develop statistical models to interpret and predict stock market trends. Currently, Max Meystrik works part-time at a local agricultural consulting firm, applying his skills in Python programming and data analytics. He also works as a self-employed magician in the summer, traveling across the state to put on shows in public libraries and other locations.

Taking the lead

Arriving as a freshman during the COVID-19 pandemic, Maddie Meystrik quickly recognized the value of being a member of CLP, which provided her not only with opportunities to develop leadership skills and business acumen but also with an immediate community of friends. One of her most memorable experiences in CLP was participating in Tigers on Wall Street during her junior year - a life-changing, experience-centered learning opportunity she will never forget.

She had another transformative experience her sophomore year when she was selected to participate in the annual Deloitte FanTAXtic National Case Study Competition. It was her first dip into the tax profession - and she was hooked.

"It was an insane experience and the best experience-centered learning opportunity I've had at Mizzou," she said. "It's where my love for tax all started."

Maddie Meystrik further honed her leadership skills as co-vice president of membership for Alpha Kappa Psi. In this role, she worked with the executive board to plan and execute pledge week, then led weekly meetings for a group of 45 pledges.

"It took a lot of management and planning skills to pull it all off," Maddie Meystrik said.

Max Meystrik serves as a tri-director of employee relations for the Trulaske Leadership Conference as well as a class coordinator for his grade in TLC, focused on mentoring freshmen to help them navigate their first year and feel welcomed into the college community.

"Taking what I've learned from my mentors and implementing that myself has been a great experience because it's helped me better understand what I truly appreciate in a mentor," he said.

The Meystriks credit Mary Beth Marrs, director of CLP, for helping them adapt to college life and fostering their sense of belonging within the Trulaske community.

"It's rare to find someone like Mary Beth who cares that much about her students," Max Meystrik said. "She is a very busy individual, but any time I've asked to stop by her office or unexpectedly stopped by, she has always made the time for me, and I know that is the case with her other students as well. That's invaluable."

Maddie and Max Meystrik agree that the best part of being at Trulaske together is having a built-in best friend by their side.

"It's been so much fun to watch Max enjoy the things that have meant so much to me at Mizzou," Maddie Meystrik said.

Max Meystrik said having his sister on campus has made his transition to college almost effortless.

"It's like having an automatic mentor," he said. "She's shown me the ropes, which has been invaluable because transitioning to college can feel overwhelming. Suddenly, you have all this new freedom, so having someone I trust to guide me through it has made all the difference."

Read more from the Robert J. Trulaske, Sr. College of Business

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