Yonny Astatke

Hometown: Kansas City, Missouri

Major: Music (Vocal Performance)

Favorite A&S memory:

My favorite A&S memories have all been tied to my participation in Show-Me Opera without a doubt! The experiences gained as a member of this ensemble will stay with me for the rest of my career. Show-Me Opera has shaped me into the person I am today in terms of feeling confident in myself and my abilities as a performer.

Shoutout to an A&S instructor, advisor, staff member, advisor, mentor or fellow student:

I would like to shout out two faculty members in particular. I would like to give a very big thank you to Kyle Stegall and Christine Seitz. Thank you to Prof. Seitz for giving me the space to gain confidence in myself through constantly giving me opportunities to learn by doing challenging roles both in opera scenes and in full productions. In addition, I would like to thank Prof. Stegall for always supporting me, advocating for me, and encouraging me to be better than I was before each and every lesson. Without these two, I do not know where I would be. I feel confident in my ability to have a career in this industry, and I have Profs. Seitz and Stegall to thank.

Mia Berkstresser

Hometown: Kirbyville, Missouri

Major: English

Minor: Psychology

Favorite A&S memory:

It's hard to choose — probably either my study abroad semester, where I did lots of traveling and met my queerplatonic partner or completing my honors thesis.

Shoutout to an A&S instructor, advisor, staff member, advisor, mentor or fellow student:

Scott Garson — out of all the professors (and non-MU-affiliated professionals) I've worked with as a writer, he's the best at teaching students how to do things and then encouraging them to follow their interests and personal styles instead of trying to enforce firm rules in writing or telling students what to do based on his own personal preferences.

Alli Brinton

Hometown: Kansas City, Missouri

Major: Romance Languages (Spanish)

Favorite A&S memory:

Any class with Dr. Guadalupe Pérez-Anzaldo, learning about Spanish Language and Culture from her has been an incredible experience. I can't wait to bring that knowledge into my future Spanish classroom.

Shoutout to an A&S instructor, advisor, staff member, advisor, mentor or fellow student:

Dr. Ivan Reyna and Dr. Dawn Heston!

Andrea Brown

Hometown: Kansas City, Missouri

Major: Black Studies and Political Science

Minor: English

Shoutout to an A&S instructor, advisor, staff member, advisor, mentor or fellow student:

S/o to the Black Studies faculty for always inspiring and supporting me! Another special s/o to my Mcnair research mentor Dr. Christina Carney.

Noah Cadwell

Hometown: Perryville, Missouri

Major: Geological Sciences

Minor: Environmental Science

Favorite A&S memory:

Attending Branson Field Laboratory for my geology capstone. It is an amazing camp in a beautiful part of the world where I got to be among some of my best friends while learning a wide variety of field techniques from an experienced faculty.

Shoutout to an A&S instructor, advisor, staff member, advisor, mentor or fellow student:

Miriam Barquero-Molina! She is the current field camp director, undergraduate student advisor, and director of undergraduate studies for the geology department, as well as a professor of several courses. Miriam helped convince me to major in geology in the first place and has offered nothing but wisdom, kindness, and great opportunities ever since.

Lane Cargile

Hometown: Washburn, Missouri

Major: Political Science and Public Administration and Policy

Minor: History, Latin American Studies, Leadership and Public Service

Favorite A&S memory:

My favorite Arts and Science memory is traveling to the University of Delaware as a Truman Ambassador to the Biden Institute's National Student Dialogue. It was a fantastic weekend, and I go to be Valerie Biden (Joe Biden's sister)!

Shoutout to an A&S instructor, advisor, staff member, advisor, mentor or fellow student:

Kathleen Miller! She is a fantastic professor who helped me engage with the content in her class and sparked a passion for public administration and policy. She also recommended me for the Biden Institute program too!

Robin Carney

Hometown: Boonville, Missouri

Major: Political science

Favorite A&S memory:

Welcome Week

Shoutout to an A&S instructor, advisor, staff member, advisor, mentor or fellow student:

Rebecca Fallon because she was always there supporting me from my major change to classes I chose to take and also personal life stuff! She really cares.

Andrew Carter

Hometown: St. Louis (Oakville), Missouri

Major: History and German

Favorite A&S memory:

Totalitarianism & Culture was my favorite memory and course at Mizzou. It was such an exciting class in which I explored many interesting topics and was able to do my own research.

Shoutout to an A&S instructor, advisor, staff member, advisor, mentor or fellow student:

I want to give a shoutout to Dr. Seth Howes because he's the best professor I've ever had! He is truly the most caring and hard-working professor, and he would do anything for his students. I was fortunate enough to have multiple courses with him.

Grant Himmelmann

Hometown: Fayette, Missouri

Major: Statistics

Minor: Computer Science and Mathematics

Favorite A&S memory:

Taking Geography 1100 with Dr. Hurt

Shoutout to an A&S instructor, advisor, staff member, advisor, mentor or fellow student:

Dr. Lee (Mizzou Statistics) for being a fantastic advisor and for setting me up for success at Mizzou and in my future career.

Sabien Kent

Hometown: Jefferson City, Missouri

Major: Linguistics

Minor: Military Science & Leadership

Favorite A&S memory:

Uncovering a "new" demonstrative in the language we're researching for the Linguistics Capstone course, Field Methods in Linguistics.

Shoutout to an A&S instructor, advisor, staff member, advisor, mentor or fellow student:

Dr. Matthew Gordon. He does the impossible and makes the structure and grammar of the English Language fun to learn!

Sydney McClintock

Hometown: Cape Girardeau, Missouri

Major: Textile and Apparel Management

Minor: Business

Favorite A&S memory:

My favorite A&S memory was attending the International Textile and Apparel Association conference this year with my professors to present one of my original designs. During the closing ceremony, I won an award for my design, and all of my professors and Mizzou peers stood up, cheering and clapping for me. They were the loudest people in the room, and it made me feel so loved and supported!

Shoutout to an A&S instructor, advisor, staff member, advisor, mentor or fellow student:

I would shout out Jaime Mestres. She is my advisor and the reason I am in TAM. When I was wanting to change my major sophomore year, I came across Jaime's contact, and she was so willing to meet with me and discuss all of the possibilities that TAM could offer me. Since then, she has gone out of her way to make sure I am happy in my major and outside of school. She is so genuinely caring and is always such a ray of sunshine when I see her. I am so grateful she helped me to realize that TAM was the right major for me and aided in making my experience the best!

Christina Meier

Hometown: St. Louis, Missouri

Major: Communication

Minor: Science & Agricultural Communications

Favorite A&S memory:

I loved that A&S allowed me to combine my passions in several of my Mizzou courses. It really put my career prep into action as I got to share my knowledge with students from other majors!

Shoutout to an A&S instructor, advisor, staff member, advisor, mentor or fellow student:

I would give a shout-out to my advisor, Alex Anderson. He always was excited to chat about my future plans and how classes were going throughout my college career, and was so supportive of my Mizzou and career goals. He had great suggestions for opportunities and courses that would fit all of my interests and requirements for my major, minor, and certificates I wanted to earn. This was especially helpful since I was an A&S student that earned my certificate and minor through CAFNR.

Conor Mills

Hometown: Chicago, Illinois

Major: International Studies and Strategic Communication and

Favorite A&S memory:

Studying abroad in Ireland was an amazing experience and opportunity. Guinness tastes better than most believe.

Shoutout to an A&S instructor, advisor, staff member, advisor, mentor or fellow student:

Kibby Smith - as my A&S advisor during my time at MU, she has gone above and beyond. She has supported me academically and personally — and has been a driving factor in my success and happiness at MU. Kibby rocks. Plain and simple.

Christian Musgrave

Hometown: Springfield, Missouri

Major: Political Science, Philosophy

Minor: History

Favorite A&S memory:

My favorite memory from Arts and Science has been all of the friendships I have forged from something as simple as making a study group outside of class or working on a big group project. The semester-long group project in my Public Policy class stands out in my memory in particular as being both challenging yet rewarding.

Shoutout to an A&S instructor, advisor, staff member, advisor, mentor or fellow student:

I would love to give a shout-out to Professor Jeffrey Stevens in the History department. Professor Stevens is an insightful lecturer whose class also cultivated lots of interesting discussion. His classes on the history of Rome have changed my perspective on the study of history and reminded me why I love studying it in the first place.

Austin Reed

Hometown: Waynesville, Missouri

Major: Geography (Cultural emphasis)

Favorite A&S memory:

My favorite memories are all related to the geography department and the geography club. My great friends and professors.

Shoutout to an A&S instructor, advisor, staff member, advisor, mentor or fellow student:

I would have to shout out Dr. Doug Hurt of the Geography department. I have had a lot of classes with him, and he has to be one of the best professors I have had. Dr. Hurt wants the absolute best for his students and truly tries to get every student to succeed. Dr. Hurt also facilitates the geography club and GTU, helping to create a fun environment and memories for us students. Dr. Hurt helps out his students in any way he can, whether academically or life-wise. I am very lucky to have had the opportunity to have Dr. Hurt as a mentor.

Alli Salamone

Hometown: Greenwood, Missouri

Major: Chemistry and Physics

Minor: Mathematics

Favorite A&S memory:

My favorite A&S memory is from Arts & Science Week during the spring 2023 semester. I had just finished tutoring, and I left the Student Success Center to see several people giving away free merchandise for A&S week. I walked away with a free shirt and sticker to add to my collection.

Shoutout to an A&S instructor, advisor, staff member, advisor, mentor or fellow student:

I would give a shout-out to Dorina Kosztin, a physics professor who unfortunately passed away recently. Dorina was by far the best instructor I had during my time at Mizzou. She made physics fun and worked hard to provide every student with the resources they needed to succeed in her classes. She served as a mentor for me, providing me with advice for undergrad and grad school, as well as several letters of recommendation.

Bailey Sims

Hometown: Kansas City, MO

Major: Film Studies (Production)

Minor: Digital Storytelling and Theatre

Favorite A&S memory:

I’m a big fan of the SVS Advisory Group meetings because they show that our faculty cares about our students.

Shoutout to an A&S instructor, advisor, staff member, advisor, mentor or fellow student:

Brian Macneel and Desiree Moore have made tremendous differences to the film program.

Dacia Slater

Hometown: St. Louis, Missouri

Major: Theatre performance, Social Work

Minor: psychology

Favorite A&S memory:

Being able to work on all of the shows in the theatre department.

Shoutout to an A&S instructor, advisor, staff member, advisor, mentor or fellow student:

Raynesha Green. She is a newer staff, but she is killing it at her job.

Jenny Smith-Demsich

Hometown: Trenton and Ashland, Missouri

Major: Psychology and  Hospitality Management

Minor: Business

Favorite A&S memory:

My favorite A&S memory was my capstone course, Animal Psychology 4972W. The ability to study and research animals outside in their natural habitat was one of my favorite experiences. Paige Michener-Portock delivered the teachings of animal psychology in a fun and inspiring format.

Shoutout to an A&S instructor, advisor, staff member, advisor, mentor or fellow student:

My shout-out would have to go to Betsy Miller for being an outstanding advisor. Besty has been a constant supporter and a huge part of my success at Mizzou.

Also, Dr. Monnier for believing in me and my vision of how psychology and floral design intermingle. I am passionate about the connection between emotional, mental, and physical health, enhanced by the connection to flowers elevating one's mood and outlook.

Alex Weinzierl

Hometown: Belton, Missouri

Major: Music Education

Favorite A&S memory:

My favorite A&S memory is football Gamedays with Marching Mizzou. There is an unmatched energy in Marching Mizzou when we are in the stands cheering on the football team, playing the music that creates that unmatched College Gameday atmosphere, and performing on the field during Pregame and Halftime. Sharing that excitement with some of my closest friends will forever be one of my fondest memories during my time at the MU College of Arts & Science.

Shoutout to an A&S instructor, advisor, staff member, advisor, mentor or fellow student:

I want to thank Dr. Amy Knopps for her continued support of me and my career. She continually reminds me of what I am capable of and always pushes me to the highest level that I can possibly achieve.

Addison Wiskur

Hometown: Union, Missouri

Major: Sociology, Women's and Gender Studies, Ancient Mediterranean Studies

Minor: Anthropology

Favorite A&S memory:

Going on my study abroad trip to Greece over the summer and getting to take all of the things I had learned in the classroom and apply them in real life.

Shoutout to an A&S instructor, advisor, staff member, advisor, mentor or fellow student:

My academic advisor for WGST, Kibby! She was with me my entire time at Mizzou and really helped me think through what exactly it was that I wanted to get out of my time on campus and find ways to pursue my interests, both in undergrad and going to the future.