Maisie Davis still remembers the first time she spotted another student wearing her T-shirt.
“I’ve walked up to people and said, ‘I made that!’” she laughs. “But after a few confused looks, I realized it was better to just smile to myself.”
That quiet smile says everything. A Pell City native, Maisie came to UAB determined to turn her creativity into impact. She found the perfect outlets in Student Affairs, joining the Promoters of Wellness peer education program as well as the staff of the student publications Aura and Kaleidescope managed through UAB’s Student Media office. Maisie’s designs, including Wellness Promotion’s Vitamin Wellness Campaign seen on posters - and T-shirts! - all over campus, aren’t just graphics; they’re a part of UAB’s culture of health and wellness.
Along the way, Maisie was mentored by student leaders who showed her the ropes—and now she finds herself mentoring the next wave of creators.
“That’s one of the best parts,” she says. “I got so much guidance, and now I get to give it back.”
Her time in student housing shaped her, too. Living first in Blazer Hall and then Camp Hall, Maisie discovered how community takes shape in small, daily moments. “The student housing staff were ready to fix any problems right away.” Because her roommate faced mobility challenges, Maisie walked with her across campus to find the best routes to class. “That experience really taught me what it means to support someone,” she reflects.
Off campus, Maisie’s creativity didn’t stop. When her fiancé inherited his great-grandmother’s house, she joined him in renovating it - and quickly discovered the home didn’t have a bathroom. For many students, that would have been overwhelming. Maisie saw it as a challenge. “It was a lot of Googling,” she said with a laugh, describing how she designed and built the space herself, putting up walls, finishing cabinets and working alongside plumbers. It was hands-on learning at its most practical—and a sign of her determination to solve problems with creativity
One problem she couldn’t solve started with stomach pain in April 2025 that was misdiagnosed at an off-campus urgent care clinic. By July 4th, during a shift at the Birmingham Zoo gift shop, where Maisie works part time, the pain became unbearable. This time the ambulance took her straight to UAB Highlands, where she was told a stone was stuck between her gallbladder and pancreas. It was so inflamed that it was too risky to remove, so she took a second ambulance to UAB’s main hospital, where they could perform the necessary emergency procedure.
“Looking back, I wish I had gone to The UAB Student Health Center right away,” she admits. “I won’t make that mistake again.”
Maisie had options when it came to deciding on where to go to college, but as she heads into her junior year, she says UAB Student Affairs has shaped her not just as a student, but as a future professional with countless hours of hands-on experience that gave her lessons she couldn’t find in a classroom. “I know I made the right choice by coming to UAB. Student Affairs has benefited me so much—I’ve learned how to be professional in ways you just can’t Google,” she says.
Her dream jobs? Designing toy packaging for Mattel, illustrating books, or creating comic covers. And thanks to the experiences she’s built at UAB, those dreams feel within reach.
For Maisie, co-creating impactful learning experiences has meant more than building a portfolio. For her and for the other UAB students who take advantage of such opportunities, it means building confidence, resilience, and experience that bring their dreams closer to reality.