Dec. 17, 2025

An Empathetic Spirit: Catie Tejeda Earns Health Science Degree

Story by Logan JacksonPhoto courtesy of Catie Tejeda On her official tour of the University of Missouri, Catie Tejeda was a sponge, absorbing every detail of her trek across campus. While she was impressed with everything that was being shared, when she walked across the quad, she knew she was going to be a Tiger. “I know it sounds super cliché, but Mizzou really did feel like home when I saw the Columns,” Tejeda said. “Something about them just drew me in. I toured other schools but none of them matched up to Mizzou.”…

Dec. 16, 2025

Building Community Through Fitness, Service and Sport: Anna Fairchild Earns Nutrition and Exercise Physiology Degree

Story by Riley PalshawPhoto courtesy of Anna Fairchild From leading fitness classes across Columbia, to tackling leadership roles for Mizzou women’s rugby, Honors College student and nutrition and exercise physiology major Anna Fairchild has left her mark on the University of Missouri’s campus. Now preparing to graduate in December, Fairchild looks back on how far she has come since arriving on campus. The Mexico, Missouri, native comes from a family of Tigers, but her path to finding her place at Mizzou wasn’t linear. She started in the Discovery Center and moved through agricultural business and communication…

Dec. 15, 2025

“A Career That Makes Me Feel Human”: Ryan Brunette Earns Nursing Degree

Story by Tanner O’Neal RileyPhoto courtesy of Ryan Brunette The Sinclair School of Nursing at the University of Missouri has churned out uniquely skilled nurses since its founding in 1920. Student nurse, Ryan Brunette, is one of them. From the beginning, Brunette sensed that nursing could be more than a profession. It could be a way to live a life of service. “At first I was drawn to nursing because of the variety of career paths it offers,” he said, recalling how the broad landscape of medical units first caught his attention. Emergency care,…

Dec. 14, 2025

From Legacy to Leadership: Mira Sabapathy Earns Accountancy Degree

Story by Kaiya Lynch Mira Sabapathy was no stranger to the University of Missouri growing up. The daughter of Mizzou alumni, she arrived on campus as a freshman already familiar with its history, culture and traditions. “Once I was accepted into the Cornell Leadership Program, I knew I would go to Mizzou,” Sabapathy said. “It certainly helped having parents who attended the university, so I already felt comfortable.” The Cornell Leadership Program offers leadership development for students who have achieved high levels of success. Sabapathy appreciated that the program allowed her to…

Nov. 17, 2025

Developing Study Strategies for the MCAT

Story and photos by Logan Jackson The Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) is widely considered to be one of the most difficult standardized exams due to its format, expansive content and high-stakes nature. The preparation that students must do before the exam is vital, and the Honors College is offering a course to aid students on that journey. The High Impact Study Strategies for MCAT Prep (GN_HON 4070H) course brings together students from across the Mizzou campus to try new study techniques, take practice exams, complete self-evaluations and work through stress-reduction exercises. The course is taught by…

Nov. 5, 2025

Josh Donaldson Named Finalist for Rhodes, Marshall Scholarships

Story and photo by Logan Jackson Less than a year after receiving the prestigious Truman Scholarship, Josh Donaldson is gearing up for another distinguished scholarship interview. Donaldson was recently chosen as a Rhodes Scholarship finalist. “I am honored to be a Rhodes finalist and incredibly excited to meet the other finalists in November,” Donaldson said. “I am grateful for the Office of Global and National Fellowships, my mentors on campus and my family back home for helping me get to this point. This application process challenged me more than any other. Through intense introspection and reflection on…

Nov. 3, 2025

Finding Her Voice: How the Honors College Helped Charlotte Cicero Lead, Learn and Look Ahead

Story by Riley Palshaw On the night of Oct. 4, Charlotte Cicero walked through downtown Columbia with a camera in hand, keeping pace with University of Missouri President Mun Choi and local leaders as they toured the area to discuss community safety. It wasn’t a typical KOMU assignment, or Saturday night for that matter, but for Cicero, a senior broadcast journalism student and KOMU 8 reporter, it was a reminder of why she fell in love with the profession: to inform, to connect and to give others a voice.  That same sense of purpose has guided every…

Oct. 16, 2025

Redefining the Pursuit of Happiness

Story by Riley PalshawPhotos by Logan Jackson As humans, we’re told that happiness is something worth pursuing. But what does happiness actually mean? Sam von Gillern explores this question with his Honors College students in Lessons from Positive Psychology on Happiness and Success, an Honors Seminar course centered on research in the field of positive psychology. For von Gillern, who created and teaches the course, the idea began at Iowa State University when he encountered The Happiness Advantage by Shawn Achor. The book’s insights laid the foundation for his class, and after arriving at Mizzou in…

Oct. 12, 2025

The Force, Football and Fandoms: Honors College Takes on Pop Culture

Story by Tanner O’Neal RileyPhotos by Logan Jackson When one thinks of an Honors College class, what most often comes to mind? History, theology, anthropology and perhaps sociology, to name a few. What one doesn’t think of? Harry Potter fan rivalries, the rise and fall of Beanie Baby mania or the new-fangled cultural icon bringing the most stoic of men to their knees, the Labubu. That’s exactly what Doug Valentine’s one-credit Honors Tutorial on fandom, offered through the Mizzou Honors College, seeks to explore. In his course, Fandoms: Gamers, Football, and K-Pop, Oh My!, he invites students…

Oct. 6, 2025

Discovery Fellows Program Connects Students with Research Opportunities

Story and photos by Logan JacksonVideos by Eric Kiekeben Like many undergraduate students just beginning their research journeys, Nora Pryor was tasked with reading multiple research papers and articles in 2022 when she first began working with Heather Hennkens, an associate professor in the Department of Chemistry and the University of Missouri Research Reactor (MURR). Just two years later, Pryor found her name – along with other collaborators – on a published research article. “One of the first assignments Dr. Hennkens gave me was to read a ton of papers, and…