Mizzou will confer more than 390 degrees for College of Arts and Science undergraduate students on December 19 at the Hearnes Center, including more than 30 multiple degree holders. Among this accomplished group, three students will represent their peers during the day’s ceremonies — one delivering remarks from the podium and two serving as student marshals.
As they prepare for their big moment, these students reflect on the experiences and relationships that shaped their journeys at Mizzou.
Majors: Anthropology, Ancient Mediterranean Studies
Minors: Archaeology, Spanish
Undergraduate research became the defining force of Ty Lawson’s Mizzou experience.
“My participation as an undergraduate research assistant in the archaeometry lab at the University of Missouri Research Reactor heavily shaped and influenced my academic experiences,” said Ty Lawon, selected to represent his class as a student marshal.
These hands-on experiences and the friendships he formed along the way turned his undergraduate years into a time of discovery, even inspiring his own research project – a neutron activation analysis study of 50 sherds of terra sigillata and other derivative wares in partnership with the Museum of Art and Archaeology. Lawson presented his results at Mizzou’s Show Me Research Week in spring 2025.
Beyond the lab, Lawson served as vice president of the Anthropological Student Association during the 2024-2025 academic year and sharpened his research skills during an archaeological excavation in the ancient Roman city of Gabii in summer 2025.
Lawson says he’s grateful for the shared purpose he found within the College of Arts and Science. “The camaraderie between professors, graduate students, and undergraduates was evident, as was the love we all share for the study of the Classics.”
One of his most memorable experiences occurred during the Classics, Archaeology, and Religion awards ceremony. During the event, Lawson’s Classical Greek language class read lines from Book 3 of the Iliad in the original scansion and meter before the graduate
students regaled the department with a dramatic and slightly comedic rendition of the events to follow.
Lawson plans to pursue a graduate degree in Classical Archaeology and continue his research as he starts the journey towards becoming a professor.
Major: Mediated Communication
Minors: Ancient Mediterranean Studies, Human Development and Family Science
A natural planner and organizer, Bonnie Niedermann quickly realized that the beauty of being in college comes from the moments that are embraced, not necessarily planned. “Some of the best experiences from the last few years weren’t etched into my four-year plan,” noted this semester’s student speaker.
Niedermann expertly balanced her studies and a job at Mizzou’s University Libraries Depository, while lending her leadership skills to student organizations during the past four years.
As a member of Marching Mizzou, Niedermann played clarinet for two years, including the St. Patrick’s Day parade in Dublin, Ireland, before trying on a new hat as the band’s first social media manager, a move she says ignited her passion for digital media and content creation. “They took a chance on me, and the experience has changed the trajectory of both my academic and professional journeys.”
As an A&S Student Ambassador, Niedermann shared her dynamic Mizzou journey with prospective students and represented the college at alumni events and campus activities.
During her junior year, Niedermann became involved in undergraduate research, studying how different podcasts framed the kidnapping story of Katie Beers. The experience sharpened her research skills and strengthened her writing.
“I have truly adored my time here at Mizzou,” said Niedermann. “It’s been an amazing few years!”
Niedermann is excited to apply what she’s learned at Mizzou to the next step in her academic journey as a graduate student. She intends to pursue her master’s degree in social or digital media in the fall.
Degrees: Philosophy, Constitutional Democracy with emphasis in Law and Institutions
Minors: History, Law, Political Science
“Being a student at the Kinder Institute on Constitutional Democracy has, without a doubt, been one of the biggest highlights of my academic career,” said Emily Reed, who will lead faculty and leadership into the commencement ceremony as a student marshal. “The program helped me find and explore interests I didn’t know I had and introduced me to a world of scholarship I will cherish forever.”
Reed participated in the prestigious Kinder Scholars D.C. summer program, interning with D.C. Witness, a nonprofit media group dedicated to bringing transparency to the D.C. Superior Court system. She attended hearings, researched systemic issues, and translated complex information for the public, an experience that redefined her views on criminal justice and the process of law, and her capabilities as a student, professional, and advocate.
Research has been a hallmark of her time at Mizzou. Reed has served as a research assistant on projects exploring the history of arbitration and elections. She has also applied her academic training to the School of Law, where she conducts detailed legal research on insurance arbitration cases and works with faculty on case law and statutory analysis.
Across campus, Reed has been involved in many student organizations, including Beta Chi Omicron, Kinder Institute Undergraduate Society, Mizzou Mock Trial, Missouri Debate Union, and Model United Nations. “I love being involved with my community in ways that feel productive and collaborative,” she said, “It opened the door to increasing leadership experience, but, more importantly, introduced me to the best friends I've ever had.”
Reed has accepted a full-time position as the program coordinator of the School of Law’s Child and Family Justice Clinic at Mizzou. Within five years, she plans to pursue a joint JD professional degree program.