When Milena Lynn Gessert crossed the commencement stage at Missouri S&T earlier this month, she was likely one of the youngest participants in university history. 
 
At just 2 months old, she was carried in the arms of her father, Maxwell Gessert, moments before he officially became a Missouri S&T nuclear engineering graduate. 

For Gessert, of Troy, Missouri, the moment was about more than just a memorable photo opportunity.

Only a few years ago, he was relearning how to walk, recognize smells and remember words after suffering a traumatic brain injury. He was focused only on recovering, with little bandwidth to daydream about his future. 
 
“There was a time when I had no idea what my future would look like,” Gessert says. “Now, I’ve graduated, have an engineering job lined up, built a family, and carried my daughter across the stage with me. Everything really fell into place, and having Milena there was the cherry on top and a reminder of how far I’ve come.” 

Gessert’s traumatic brain injury happened in fall 2019 after he fell off a vehicle while helping move his family’s trash cans. The accident left him with a fractured skull, a traumatic brain injury and months of physical therapy. 
 
“I had to relearn so many things people take for granted,” he says. “It was overwhelming, but I had no choice but to keep pushing forward. I was actually still using a cane when I started taking classes at Missouri S&T in August 2020.” 
 
Gessert says support from family members played a major role throughout his recovery, and when he came to S&T, encouragement from his brothers in the Beta Sigma Psi fraternity and his nuclear engineering classmates also helped him succeed. 

Another unexpected turning point in Gessert’s life came through a Christian dating app. 
 
Gessert met his future wife, Cecelia Gessert, through the app while completing a cooperative education program in Raytown, Missouri, in 2022. He says he initially felt skeptical about dating apps but has since had a change of heart for the technology. 

“I gave it a try, but I didn’t have high hopes,” he says. “But clearly, they can work out pretty well.” 
 
Gessert asked Cecelia to be his girlfriend beside a campfire and later proposed to her on a Florida beach during a picturesque sunset as the ocean waves rolled in. 
 
Gessert says commencement day required several text messages with Cecelia to coordinate the perfect baby handoff for the father/daughter stage-crossing. 
 
Before his name was called, Cecelia met him on the gymnasium floor with Milena. Cecelia then handed the smiling infant to the proud father, and an S&T staff member gave her Maxwell’s diploma cover. 

After posing for photos with S&T Chancellor Mohammad Dehghani, Gessert walked off the stage, handed Milena back to Cecelia and took possession of his diploma cover. 
 
“Honestly, I wanted to keep holding Milena longer,” he says. “But I had to get back to my seat with the rest of the graduates.” 
 
Gessert says becoming a father while finishing an engineering degree has been an adjustment, but perhaps not to the level people may expect. 
 
“People ask about my new sleep schedule with a baby, but college students already don’t get the best sleep,” he says. “In some ways, I was already prepared for it.” 
 
Now, Gessert is preparing to begin his engineering career while embracing life as a husband and father. 
 
He accepted a position as a mechanical systems engineer at Ameren’s Callaway Energy Center near Fulton, Missouri, and plans to start working in June. 
 
As for whether Milena might someday follow in her father’s footsteps at Missouri S&T? 
 
“She’s already crossed the stage once,” Gessert says. “Maybe it’s foreshadowing.” 
 
To learn more about Missouri S&T’s nuclear engineering programs, visit nuclear.mst.edu. 

About Missouri S&T

Missouri University of Science and Technology (Missouri S&T) is a STEM-focused research university of over 7,000 students located in Rolla, Missouri. Part of the four-campus University of Missouri System, Missouri S&T offers over 100 degrees in 40 areas of study and is among the nation’s top public universities for salary impact, according to the Wall Street Journal. For more information about Missouri S&T, visit www.mst.edu.