Jan. 27, 2025

Experiential Learning at the Next Level

Story by Logan Jackson A constitutional democracy major at the University of Missouri, TJ Benoist spent the past year taking experiential learning to the next level. Benoist, a sophomore, ran for a county commissioner seat in St. Francois County, Missouri. While he didn’t win the election, the experience was a perfect one for a student pursuing a degree that is focused on providing a foundation for thoughtful citizenship, leadership and civic engagement. “I was thinking a lot about some of the lower-level races early last year – especially where I’m from in St. Francois County – and…

Jan. 21, 2025

Join the Honors College Student Council

Story and photography by Logan Jackson The University of Missouri Honors College is offering interested Honors students an opportunity to build their leadership skills and connect with Honors in a meaningful way. The college is actively recruiting students to join a new organization – the Honors College Student Council. “Honors students are ambitious, creative and exceptionally talented,” said Audrey Francis, a senior academic advisor in the Honors College. “It is extremely important for Honors students to get involved outside of the classroom while they’re here at Mizzou so that they can learn leadership and teamwork skills, and…

Dec. 16, 2024

Making an Impact Through Giving

Story and photography by Logan Jackson Susan Duncan couldn’t help but smile as she listened to Chris Josey praise one of the students in his Extended One Read course. Josey, an associate teaching professor of communication, is one of three Tarkow Teaching Fellows in the University of Missouri Honors College, a program funded, in part, through an endowed gift given by Duncan. Duncan recently had dinner near campus with all three Teaching Fellows, who are named in honor of Ted and Marjorie Tarkow. Ted Tarkow, who also attended the dinner, was an incredibly influential professor who Duncan…

Dec. 16, 2024

Seventy Years of Joy

Story and photography by Logan Jackson “Find the fun without sacrificing complexity.” Throughout her nearly 30 years as a professor in the Humanities Sequence, Rachel Harper has made it a priority to create a learning environment that allows students to gain a deeper appreciation for the world around them. Through discussions on literature, philosophy, art, history, religion and music, students are introduced to the big ideas, questions and debates of the Western tradition. Harper, along with the other outstanding faculty across the University of Missouri campus, have led those conversations, aiding students in their efforts to make sense…

Dec. 11, 2024

Senior Spotlight: Avery Rayle

Story by Logan Jackson As Avery Rayle was exploring plant sciences degree programs at colleges across the state, she said there was one thing that stood out about the University of Missouri – ample opportunities to conduct meaningful undergraduate research right away. Nearly four years later, Rayle is finishing her plant sciences degree with a stellar research portfolio. “I knew I wanted to study plant sciences, and as I was comparing programs at different universities, none of them had an emphasis on research like Mizzou,” Rayle said. “There are so many dedicated programs here for getting undergraduates…

Oct. 21, 2024

A Powerful Experience

Story and photos by Logan Jackson Each year, the University of Missouri Honors College selects a One Read book that incoming Honors students engage with in a variety of ways. Along with a symposium – where students have the opportunity to interact with the author of that year’s text – students can dive further into the selected book through the Extended One Read course. While several Honors students have the chance to take the class, the Honors College developed the Tarkow Teaching Fellows program late last year to allow for more students to partake in the in-depth…

Sep. 12, 2024

The Perfect Fit

The Honors College Communication Internship team plays an important role in telling the Honors story. They showcase their storytelling skills in a variety of ways and through numerous communication channels. The team includes four students. Meet one of the new faces on the team, Sophia Anderson! Anderson is a junior journalism and sociology double major. How did you find your way to the University of Missouri? I came to Mizzou because the School of Journalism was the best fit for the work I wanted to do. I also got a great scholarship, which helped a…

Sep. 11, 2024

Enjoying a Customizable Curriculum

The Honors College Communication Internship team plays an important role in telling the Honors story. They showcase their storytelling skills in a variety of ways and through numerous communication channels. The team includes four students. Meet one of those students, Eric Kiekeben! Kiekeben is a junior journalism major, who is also minoring in French. How did you find your way to the University of Missouri? Being all the way from Ohio, the journalism program here at Mizzou is what lured me in. Our J-School has provided me with so many opportunities that I know will…

Sep. 9, 2024

Pursuing Hands-On Learning Opportunities

The Honors College Communication Internship team plays an important role in telling the Honors story. They showcase their storytelling skills in a variety of ways and through numerous communication channels. The team includes four students. Meet one of the new faces on the team, Kaiya Lynch! Lynch is a junior journalism (strategic communication) major, who is also pursuing a minor in information technology. How did you find your way to the University of Missouri? Going to high school in Kansas City and being the editor-in-chief of the newspaper, we would participate in the J-Day competition…

Sep. 8, 2024

Sharing the Honors Story

The Honors College Communication Internship team plays an important role in telling the Honors story. They showcase their storytelling skills in a variety of ways and through numerous communication channels.  The team includes four students. Meet one of those students, Sam Ennis! Ennis, a senior history and journalism (strategic communication) double major, has been part of the team since he was a freshman.  How did you find your way to the University of Missouri? Both my parents and a lot of my extended family attended Mizzou, and since I wanted to major in journalism it seemed…