UC family finds strength in unity
Madi, Max, Mikey and Mackenzie Maisel are grateful for the experience of attending UC together
There's no place like home.
That’s what Madi Maisel learned her freshman year of college. She had left her native Cincinnati behind to do what most high school athletes dream of: Play collegiate sports on a full scholarship.
It didn’t take long for reality to set in. She was hundreds of miles away from her parents and three younger siblings, the program was far from what she expected and she was miserable. “I didn’t think it was worth it to just muscle through for four years if I could come home and be with my family, which is one of the most important things to me,” she says.
The Maisel family takes a group selfie on the balcony of University Pavilion. Photo./Joseph Fuqua II/UC Creative Services
She returned home and enrolled at the University of Cincinnati, where the phrase “Juncta Juvant” — strength in unity — adorns the university seal. For Madi, that couldn’t have been more true. Coming back to attend UC strengthened her by reuniting her with her family, while student and unaffiliated organizations, such as Young Life, connected her with a network of new friends with whom she shares her faith.
Madi, who graduates from UC’s spring 2019 undergraduate commencement class with a bachelor’s degree in business operations management, will begin working for Cincinnati Financial in mid-June. When she looks back upon her college experience, she’ll look back fondly on her senior year when all three of her siblings — twin sophomores Mikey and Max, and Mackenzie, a freshman — were all living on or near campus and attending UC.
From left to right, Madi, Mikey, Max and Mackenzie Maisel were all UC undergraduate students during the 2018-19 academic year. Madi graduates with the spring 2019 Commencement class. Photo/Joseph Fuqua II/UC Creative Services
“My siblings have been my best friends my whole life,” says Madi. “They know me better than most people know me, and I really like being around them. It’s really cool that they’re all at school with me — that’s really not that common.”
It’s probably more common among legacies, but that’s not the case with the Maisels. Their father, Mike, played basketball while attending Miami University. Lisa, their mother, is a Capital University alum. As the parents of four Bearcats, they feel a stronger bond to UC than to their own alma maters.
“We are big fans. It pains me to say it as a Miami grad, but UC is a world-class education in every discipline my children have decided to pursue,” says Mike. “With the networking opportunities afforded by UC’s unparalleled co-op and internship programs, it’s an incredible bargain for us Ohio residents.”
The youngest Maisel, Mackenzie, had heard great things about UC from each of her three siblings while growing up, but she had kept her options open before choosing to become a Bearcat. “I had a big decision to make,” she says. “I had scholarship offers from art schools around the country, and some of them were dream schools for me while I was growing up.”
UC is a world-class education in every discipline my children have decided to pursue. With the networking opportunities afforded by UC's unparalleled co-op and internship programs, it's an incredible bargain for us Ohio residents.
Mike Maisel Proud father of four Bearcats
Family factored into her decision to attend UC’s College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Design to study fine arts. Co-op was what sealed the deal. “The co-op program lets you dip your feet in and make connections around the country,” Mackenzie says. “I think I got the best of both worlds.”
Madi enjoyed being able to run into her siblings on campus for impromptu meals, and she was grateful for the ability of the family to gather for the occasional Sunday dinner. She’ll miss UC, but she’s glad to be graduating. And she knows that her families — Maisel and Bearcat alike — will be well within reach. “I won’t be far away,” Madi says.
Featured image (top): From left to right, Mackenzie, Max, Lisa, Mike, Mikey and Madi Maisel gather around a Bearcat Hero statue dressed in cap and gown as they prepare to celebrate Madi's graduation. Photo/Joseph Fuqua II/UC Creative Services
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