Nathan Papes/News-Leader
Miranda Maverick took her first vacation this summer.
The 20-year-old from tiny Tunas, Missouri, an hour north of Springfield, went on a road trip last month down the East Coast visiting colleges.
Maverick was looking at schools with small class sizes, strong industrial psychology programs, nice campuses — and a good mixed martial arts gym nearby.
"Checking out graduate schools was the initial reason," Maverick said. "But in the meantime, I am deciding my graduate schools based on the MMA schools around them."
Maverick, an honors student at Drury University, is a rising star in the world of mixed martial arts — a combat sport that combines boxing and wrestling.