A modern-day Michelangelo: Junior Joey Yancey is the University of Missouri’s renaissance man in terms of involvement. With a plethora of extracurriculars under his belt and a demeanor that instantly puts anyone at ease, it’s easy to see why.

Yancey is involved with a wide variety of organizations at MU, including Marching Mizzou, Summer Welcome, Tour Team, Alumni Association Student Board  and Residential Life.

While this is a lengthy list, Yancey said he holds a genuine passion for being a helping hand to everyone he encounters, something he displays through his involvement.

“I really want to make an impact on campus and help students the way that other student leaders before me had helped me,” Yancey said. 

Even before accepting his admittance to MU, Yancey felt the impact of the students within the campus community. Although he was hesitant to attend MU, the leaders Yancey interacted with on tours and orientations helped him to feel more comfortable, as well as inspired to become a leader for others.

While Yancey appreciates every opportunity he is involved in, there is one that he is particularly fond of. 

“Summer Welcome was such a pivotal moment in my life,” Yancey said. “Most of us always say that it’s the best summer of our life just because the work we’re doing is so exciting and fulfilling, but it’s also because of the people you meet. Most of my best friends to this day I met through Summer Welcome.”

MU junior John Smith is someone Yancey feels lucky enough to know on a deeper level. The two met during Summer Welcome 2023 when they were randomly paired up as roommates. 

“Joey is the hardest worker that I have ever known,” Smith said in a statement to The Maneater. “He has developed a record of excellence in every role he has played, but what really drives him to achieve so much is people. Joey’s empathy, communication and genuine kindness are the foundations of his personality and never fail to present themselves in every interaction, no matter who it is. Joey is the role model, leader and most of all best friend that everyone dreams of having in their life and I’m lucky enough to have all three in my life because of him.”

In addition to his relationship with Smith, Yancey appreciates the other friendships he’s had the opportunity to build through Summer Welcome. It can be challenging to meet people on campus, but he said the orientation provided the perfect chance for forming close connections.

“I feel like you meet a lot of people in college, but some give you those very surface-level friendships,” Yancey said. “The friendships I built in Summer Welcome transcended any surface-level friendship. We’re all each other’s support systems and even though we’re all so busy, when we do come together, it’s like no time has passed.”

With a desire to build relationships with others, Yancey said he tends to gravitate towards leadership positions in extracurricular groups. Building connections with others allows him to be skilled in recognizing people’s strengths and forming a solid team to work with.

However, being involved in so many extracurriculars poses its own unique challenges to Yancey. He said that he can be competitive within himself, always aiming to prove his abilities and pushing to succeed the best that he can. Despite managing a busy schedule and the pressures of being a role model for many, Yancey said he has found a way to overcome self-doubts. 

“Confidence is everything,” Yancey said. “Even if it is a rejection or maybe not the best idea, being confident in yourself has helped a lot because it’s easy to fall to imposter syndrome or feeling like you’re not enough in certain spaces because everyone around you is also so accomplished. I’ve learned a lot from being confident in myself and my leadership abilities and how it’s OK to be different from someone else and still work well together.”

When keeping busy, Yancey remembers to recall what his purpose is within his involvement. He said he takes pride in what he can do for the MU community instead of trying to further his status. Yancey’s impact on others is what propels him to be so involved, not his resume or status. 

All in all, his influence upon MU and those close to him remains what matters most to Yancey.

“It means so much to me when someone comes up to me and says that something I did for them changed their life for the better. That will sometimes make me cry just thinking about it,” Yancey said. “That’s what has kept me going; the impact I can have on people and the campus — that’s the legacy I hope to leave behind.” 

Edited by Molly Levine | mlevine@themaneater.com

Copyedited by Ethan Palgon and Emma Short | eshort@themaneater.com

Edited by Annie Goodykoontz | agoodykoontz@themaneater.com