Janitor goes from cleaning schools to education degree

Walking across the University of Missouri–St. Louis stage to accept his bachelor’s degree in elementary education on Sunday is something Toby Meyers would have never imagined 10 years ago.

Walking across the University of Missouri–St. Louis stage to accept his bachelor’s degree in elementary education on Sunday is something Toby Meyers would have never imagined 10 years ago.

Accomplished pianist Tom Sullivan basks in applause May 10 following a performance in the J.C. Penney Building/Conference Center at UMSL.

If you ask Tatyana Telnikova, she’ll tell you most of the important decisions she’s made in her life have taken place over a beer in a bar. “And they’ve all turned out great,” she says with a smile.

Among the more than 1,500 students graduating from the University of Missouri–St. Louis Saturday, four of them stand out for what they have in common. They’ve all earned high honors, entered college at the sophomore level and are 20 years old. (Since 1974, only 217 of more than 60,000 UMSL graduates were 20 years old or younger.) Not surprisingly, they’re highly focused individuals with grand plans.