For sisters Maxine Krol and Natalie Smith, what began as a short-term move materialized into a meaningful part of their lives filled with opportunity, growth and family ties. Originally from New Lenox, Illinois, Maxine first came to Mississippi State in 2018 for a graduate assistantship in student-athlete support services. “I thought I’d be here two years,” she said. “But the more time I spent on campus and in Starkville, the more it felt like home.”
