Published on Sept. 12, 2024
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 help me down the line in my career, so I couldn’t be happier with my choice to come to Mizzou.
What interested you in the School of Journalism at Mizzou?
I had always heard that Mizzou had a fantastic journalism program, but the tour I took of the J-School before my senior year of high school really solidified my plans to come here. Having professional newsroom work engrained in the curriculum is so unique and important to growing as a journalist, and I didn’t find anywhere else that seemed to offer as many opportunities for growth as the J-School here.
Could you talk about being part of the Honors College and some of the opportunities you’ve had through the college?
Being in the Honors College has done so much for me since my first day on campus. Being in an Honors FIG my freshman year was more beneficial than I could ever put into words. Constantly having a close circle of friends around you is so important, especially when you’ve just moved 500 miles away from home. Additionally, the Honors College allows you to customize your learning experience and cater to your own interests; currently, I’m involved in an Honors Independent Study (Learning-By-Contract), where another student and I are producing a full-length documentary and receiving three credit hours for doing so. As I’m going down the documentary track in the J-School, this is super helpful to my personal growth, and I get to receive college credit along the way!
Do you have a favorite Honors class that you’ve participated in?
My favorite Honors class that I’ve had was probably my Honors geography course last spring with Dr. (Soren) Larsen, a professor of geography. I’m a big geography nerd, so being able to take an Honors geography class and really dive into geographic topics more than I would be able to in a non-Honors section made the experience super fun for me. When taking classes like this, you’re also surrounded by others who share the same love for the subject – the communities you build and become a part of by just being in the Honors College are truly amazing.
What’s a fun fact about you that others may not know?
Bouncing off the fact that I’m a geography nerd, I can name every single country on Earth (as long as someone helps me not lose count)!