Decorated Mizzou gymnast sticks the landing with an MBA

Most people know Sienna Schreiber as the spunky, smiling, all-time scoring leader of the University of Missouri gymnastics team. This five-foot-one-inch phenom from Cumming, Georgia, became the second gymnast in Mizzou history to score a perfect 10 on the beam. 

Schreiber has a proven record of racking up wins for Mizzou. 

On Sunday, her winning streak continues when she becomes a two-time graduate of Mizzou, this time earning a master’s degree in business through the Accelerated Online Crosby MBA program at the Robert J. Trulaske, Sr. College of Business. Schreiber’s long-term goal is to use the MBA to leverage her bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering from MU and work for a company that produces sports equipment.

“It would be a way of combining my drive as an athlete with my knowledge as an industrial engineer with an MBA,” she said. “That might be difficult to find right away, but it’s something to work towards.”

Setting the bar high has always been Schreiber’s modus operandi.

JOURNEY TO MIZZOU

She and her sister Sheridan – older by one year in school – were competitive athletes, one a gymnast and the other a swimmer. Family life was a constant juggle of schedules, often demanding but always exhilarating – the kind of high-energy pace Schreiber and her sister would each continue as collegiate athletes.

While her sister went on to swim competitively for several different schools, Schreiber found her home at Mizzou. But in the beginning, she had her heart set on a competitive gymnastic school closer to home. She even visited a few and was captivated with the size and scope of the programs.

“Being 13 or 14, everything looked cool back then,” Schreiber recalled. 

But when she reached out to Mizzou, the recruiters came to her and watched the high school freshman practice. Although the attention was nerve-racking, Mizzou’s interest in the young gymnast felt sincere – for her as an athlete and a student. That spring, Schreiber arrived on campus for a visit and never looked back.

“I loved it,” she said. “Everyone was so welcoming and nice. The people at Mizzou seemed genuinely excited about me coming to visit, and that meant a lot. I didn’t want to visit anywhere else after Mizzou.”

 BALANCING ACT

A driven athlete and student, Schreiber hit the ground running when she arrived at Mizzou, pushing through long days of school and sport with her characteristic independent spirit. 

But college was different. Everything was ratcheted up – more demands, more pressure, more work. As a young freshman, Schreiber didn’t know how to balance the expectations or ask for help. One day during the pre-season, she broke down during practice. 

“No one knew what was wrong because I hadn’t talked about it, but I was struggling,” she said. “All that stress had become too much for me. But I eventually learned how to talk with my coaches and to communicate with people about what was going on with me.”

A self-professed introvert, Schreiber also learned to push out of her comfort zone and embrace a more active leadership role on the gymnastics team. She credits much of her success at Mizzou to the support she received from coaches, faculty, family and friends as well as sheer grit and determination. She is especially grateful to Brad Ruhanen, a strength coach, who understood her dilemma as leader and introvert and taught her how to lead while remaining true to herself. 

“I could always lead by example, but when I became a junior and senior, I knew I needed to do more. But being a spoken leader wasn’t easy for me,” Schreiber said. “I learned to push out of my comfort zone and communicate more with people and have those difficult conversations. I learned to rise to the occasion and do it for the benefit of the team – that’s why I pushed myself.”

LIFE AFTER GYMNASTICS

When Schreiber learned she would be eligible to compete for a fifth year as a student athlete because of the COVID-19 pandemic, she looked for an academic program that would help leverage her undergraduate degree in industrial engineering. She also turned to her dad, a mechanical engineer by training, who has founded several high-tech companies on his own. 

Together, they thought the Accelerated Crosby MBA was the perfect solution – an online program that she could begin her senior year and finish in a fifth year at Mizzou. Schreiber said she had several student athletes in her online classes, including Tiger quarterback Brady Cook, because the courses are convenient and work with their busy training schedules. She said Tonya Ford, an assistant teaching professor, was especially instrumental in teaching her valuable leadership skills. 

Before coming to college, Schreiber managed her own jewelry business by making and selling bracelets and necklaces. She not only created the jewelry but managed supplies, customer service and kept up with the latest trends. Though it was a small endeavor, Schreiber’s first dip into the business world was enough to spark her ambitious nature.

“I knew that getting an MBA would help me be a more well-rounded individual,” Schreiber said. “I’ve always had an entrepreneurial mindset. I also consider myself a leader. So, being able to combine those qualities with the new ways I’ve learned to manage, excite and motivate a team through the Crosby MBA program is exciting.”

While she continues to look for a full-time job, Schreiber is transitioning to a life beyond the structured environment of collegiate athletics. 

“I have lived and breathed gymnastics my whole life,” she said. “I started with ‘Mommy and Me’ classes at the age of 2 and just kept going from there. I’m going to have to work out like a regular person, and I don’t know how to do that. But I know I’ll figure it out. I’ve learned a lot about life and leadership at Mizzou. I’m sure glad I stayed a fifth year.”