Story by Riley Palshaw
Photos courtesy of Lilley Halloran
From first visiting the University of Missouri as a prospective Stamps Scholar to reporting in Brussels for POLITICO Europe and working in nearly every corner of the Missouri School of Journalism, senior Lilley Halloran is leaving Mizzou with far more than a college degree.
Halloran, a constitutional democracy and journalism double major from St. Louis, Missouri, said she quickly realized during her Stamps Scholarship interview weekend that Mizzou, and especially the Honors College, could offer opportunities beyond the classroom.
“Getting to meet faculty from so many different schools, especially in the Honors College and the J-School, really sealed the deal for me,” Halloran said. “It showed me there’s so much potential at Mizzou and especially through the Honors College.”
That sense of opportunity continued throughout Halloran’s college experience. Constantly surrounded by ambitious peers in her Honors courses, Halloran noted she was pushed to think more critically, ask deeper questions and grow more confident in both herself and her approach to journalism.
One of the most defining moments of her early time at Mizzou came when Honors College Dean Catherine Rymph encouraged her to explore the Kinder Institute’s constitutional democracy degree program after hearing about her interests in politics and journalism. Halloran later added the major, saying the program aligned naturally with her long-standing belief that journalism and democracy are deeply connected.
“Since high school, I have always been really firm in my belief that journalism and democracy go hand in hand,” Halloran said. “Democracy aids journalism and vice versa.”
Outside the classroom, Halloran has embraced nearly every opportunity available through the Missouri School of Journalism. During her four years at Mizzou, she has worked across multiple newsrooms and reporting environments, including KBIA, the Columbia Missourian and St. Louis Public Radio. Those experiences have helped her grow not only as a reporter, but also as someone committed to community-centered journalism.
“There have been so many reporting opportunities here,” Halloran said. “I feel like I’ve really grown as a journalist during my four years at Mizzou through reporting on Columbia and the community.”
At KBIA, where she worked for two years as a general assignment reporter and news anchor, Halloran developed her reporting skills while learning the collaborative nature of public radio journalism and building relationships with editors and mentors. This, along with her later work as a statehouse reporting intern for St. Louis Public Radio, helped strengthen her passion for politics reporting and public radio journalism.
One of Halloran’s most transformative opportunities came through an internship abroad with POLITICO Europe in Brussels, Belgium. Made possible through the support of the Honors College and Stamps Scholarship, her summer with the School of Journalism’s Brussels Internship Program expanded both her professional skills and worldview.
“My entire experience abroad was made possible by the Honors College and the Stamps Scholarship,” Halloran said. “Prior to college and getting this scholarship and becoming involved in the Honors College, I think the world seemed so small to me and so scary.”
While in Brussels, Halloran gained experience in digital journalism and explored places she never imagined she would have the opportunity to see.
“It was the most magical experience I think ever,” Halloran said. “I felt like I walked away with actionable skills, but I also walked away having so many memories and so many different places that I otherwise wouldn’t have seen.”
After graduation, Halloran hopes to continue working in local news and public radio, pursuing reporting that keeps her closely connected to the communities she covers. Her experiences at Mizzou have helped solidify not only the type of journalism she wants to pursue, but also the kind of journalist she hopes to become.
“I really care about local news and I really care about public radio,” Halloran said. “I’m just going to let those values guide me.”