Joey McCoy (MIW Fall 2011) was selected as the student speaker at UM’s Winter 2011 commencement.  Joey majored in General Studies and consistently pushed himself out of his comfort zone as an undergraduate in order to get the most out of his education.  During his Washington semester, Joey worked as an intern at the American Enterprise Institute, an experience which he believes broadened his understanding of many of his courses.  His research project for the MIW Program explored the relationship between fatherless boys and the increasing educational gender gap, i.e., boys' lower scores and performance in school.   

Joey plans to attend medical school next fall, and has already been accepted at U of M, although he is also considering Columbia and Pennsylvania.  When asked how a program like MIW fits into a pre-med curriculum, he said “I wanted to bring a ‘holistic’ vision to my medical training and view it as being more about people than plumbing.”   

Joey will be living in India until beginning his medical studies next fall.  He will be living with extended family in Delhi and volunteering for the Missionaries of Charity (Mother Theresa’s order).  He expects it to be a time of great growth.  

In his graduation address, Joey discusses the sense of connection among UM graduates and alums all over the world.  His message for those completing their studies is that they’ll always be part of the UM family.  Click here for a live video.