Amelia Markwell, a senior in biological sciences at Missouri S&T, has been elected to the Rolla City Council as a Ward 6 representative. She was sworn in to office on Monday, April 20, and her term will expire in April 2028.

Markwell is the first Asian American, the youngest woman and may be the first Missouri S&T undergraduate student to hold a position on the council.

“I never saw myself in local government, especially since I am not originally from Rolla,” says Markwell, who grew up in the St. Louis area. “But during my time here, the students and local residents have shown me what it truly means to be a tight-knit community that looks out for one another.”

After attending several city council meetings and local events, Markwell was inspired to run as a bipartisan candidate for her local ward, which encompasses the majority of student housing.

“I don’t have a background in politics, nor am I studying political science,” says Markwell. “As a STEM student, I want to use my area of study to help the council and city make informed science-backed decisions by having a diverse group on the city council.”

Markwell has pursued the pre-medicine track since her time at S&T, and hopes to go to medical school following her time in Rolla. She says she has wanted to be a doctor since she was young. She is currently president of the university’s SCRUBS pre-medical society and has worked in Phelps Health’s emergency medicine department.

“The support that I’ve received from my family, peers, and even professors has been amazing,” says Markwell. “I want to make sure that the student population in Rolla is accurately represented, along with the residents of Ward 6. Overall, I’d like to leave the city of Rolla in a better place than when I joined it.”

After graduating this month, Markwell will continue on at S&T as a master’s degree student while serving on the council for the upcoming year.

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.