
May 16, 2025
Honors Outstanding Senior: Isaac Yontz
Isaac Yontz will graduate with degrees in constitutional democracy and political science and earned the Honors Certificate. Yontz has been able to study abroad and conduct undergraduate research. His efforts led to him receiving the Mizzou ’39 Award early this year and, recently, he was named the Honors College Outstanding Senior. Photo by Logan Jackson. Story by Logan Jackson As Isaac Yontz was making his college decision, he was pretty sure of one thing – he didn’t want to attend the University of Missouri. Yontz grew up in Columbia and was hoping to forge a path away from a university…

May 14, 2025
Always a Tiger: Ennis Earns History and Journalism Degrees
Sam Ennis’ father (pictured right) attended the Missouri Scholars Academy (MSA) as a high school student. MSA was created by Ted Tarkow (pictured left). Ennis (pictured middle) interacted with Tarkow as a student at Mizzou, through a Humanities Sequence course. Photo courtesy of Sam Ennis. Story by Logan Jackson At least once a year, Sam Ennis and his family would make the trek from Texas to the University of Missouri to watch some Tiger football or basketball and enjoy the Mizzou campus. Those trips left a lasting impression on Ennis, and when he eventually began to look at his college…

May 13, 2025
An Incredible Learning Environment: Milburn Earns Constitutional Democracy and History Degrees
The Kinder Institute on Constitutional Democracy served as a home away from home for Elise Milburn. She was able to study abroad and conduct research through the program. Milburn was also very involved in the Honors College, earning more than 40 Honors credits as a Tiger. Photo courtesy of Elise Milburn. Story by Logan Jackson The first piece of college recruitment material that Elise Milburn received came courtesy of the University of Missouri. While Milburn wasn’t shocked to see those types of materials as a high school student, she was a bit surprised to see something from a university in…

May 12, 2025
Investigating Multiple Opportunities: Smith Earns Communication and Political Science Degrees
Tanner Smith was part of the ASH Scholars Program for all four years as a Tiger. That program allows students to conduct research in the arts, social sciences and humanities disciplines. Photo by Logan Jackson. Story by Kaiya Lynch Senior Tanner Smith vividly recalls his first day at the University of Missouri. “I remember sitting in the dorms and was like, ‘What am I supposed to do now?’” Smith said. A communication and political science double-major with a sociology minor, Smith quickly realized that his next step was undergraduate research. Before coming to Mizzou, Smith was determined to become a…

May 11, 2025
Building An Incredible Research Portfolio: Fritschi Earns Biochemistry Degree
The Freshman Research in Plants (FRIPS) Program jumpstarted Eric Fritschi’s undergraduate research career. He will graduate with numerous research awards and honors. Photo by Logan Jackson. Story by Logan Jackson When Eric Fritschi arrived on the University of Missouri campus as a freshman, he knew he wanted to get involved in research. The Freshman Research in Plants (FRIPS) Program allowed him to do just that. Now, as Fritschi heads toward graduation, he’s built an incredible research portfolio. “I didn’t know what I would enjoy about research, but I always knew I wanted to give it a shot,” said Fritschi, who…

May 7, 2025
Exploring Her Interests: Bowman Earns Computer Science Degree
Story by Logan Jackson While Maya Bowman admitted that the scholarship opportunities offered by the University of Missouri made her decision to become a Tiger an easy one, what happened on her official campus tour truly sold her on attending Mizzou. “My dad earned a degree from Mizzou, so I already had a connection with campus,” said Bowman, who grew up in St. Louis, Missouri. “He was with me during my tour, and after we finished, he showed me his favorite spots. Hearing how much he loved Mizzou and diving into those memories was really great and motivated me to…

May 6, 2025
Art of Death ASH Scholars Team Showcases Multi-Modality Project
The Art of Death ASH Scholars team showcased a multi-modality project titled “Layered” in mid-April. The project was created to memorialize Read Hall, the first women’s dorm at the University of Missouri. Photo courtesy of Michelle Teti. Story by Kaiya Lynch One team. One night. One hundred years of history encapsulated. The Art of Death team examines death, dying and grief within culture via interdisciplinary research. Photo courtesy of Michelle Teti. The ASH Scholars’ Art of Death team showcased multi-modality work at “Layered” in mid-April. The project was created to memorialize Read Hall, the first women’s…

April 17, 2025
Recognizing Outstanding Achievements
Chris Josey (left) earned the Outstanding Faculty Award during the 2025 Honors College Spring Awards ceremony. Story and photos by Logan Jackson Multiple students pursuing the Honors Certificate were recognized for their outstanding achievements over the past year during the recent Honors College Spring Awards ceremony. The annual event features multiple scholarships and awards for Tigers across campus. The Honors College also gave an award to an outstanding faculty member, Chris Josey, and an exceptional campus partner, Ashely Mitchell. The celebration was held on Tuesday, April 15, at the State Historical Society of Missouri. Outstanding Faculty Award Chris Josey –…

April 14, 2025
A Perfect Partnership
Story by Logan Jackson For the past decade, the Unbound Book Festival has welcomed world-class authors to mid-Missouri to discuss their books, their work and their life. The goal of the festival is to bring together participants to inspire a life-long love of books and reading. The Mizzou Honors College has partnered with the festival for several years, including offering a 1-credit hour course – “Unbound: Reading Without Limits” – which allows Honors students to dive deeper into a variety of writing styles, including books written by the keynote speaker. McKenna Riddle During the 2024-25 academic…

April 10, 2025
Making the Most of Her Time as a Tiger
Erin Reynolds has made the most of her time as a Tiger. A senior triple major – studying constitutional democracy, political science and psychology – Reynolds has been active in the Honors College and has been involved in several extracurricular activities. Photo courtesy of Erin Reynolds. Story by Logan Jackson Students who attend the Missouri Scholars Academy (MSA) interact with nearly all corners of the University of Missouri campus. They flex their intellectual muscles in academic buildings, enjoy games on the quad and create friendships in the Mark Twin Residence Hall. Erin Reynolds attended the Academy in 2019. The experience…