When she was in eighth grade, Chloe Bilyk toured the University of Missouri with her family, as her older sister was in the process of making her college decision. Her family agreed that Mizzou may not be for her sister – but it was the perfect fit for Bilyk. While it would be a few years before Bilyk would make…
Senior Spotlight ⋅ Page 2
Senior Spotlight: Maddy Meisel
Meisel will graduate with a degree in agriculture
The Academies at Jefferson City High School allow students to choose an area of interest to aid in their educational journeys. Maddy Meisel chose the Agriculture, Engineering, Trade and Industrial (AETI) Academy where she was able to learn more about animals, plants and food science. Along with her participation in the AETI Academy, Meisel joined her local FFA chapter, which…
Senior Spotlight: Heather Vaughn (Snow)
Vaughn will graduate with a degree in animal sciences
Each year, CAFNR connects its students with numerous industries through two career fairs, one held in the fall and another in the spring. Heather Vaughn (Snow) took advantage of the career fair as a freshman and found an internship with Cactus Family Farms, the pork division of Cactus Feeders, whose mission is to feed a hungry world. Vaughn’s internship was…
Senior Spotlight: Quinn McDonald
McDonald will graduate with a degree in nutrition and exercise physiology
Quinn McDonald has always considered himself a fitness fanatic and two opportunities sold him on coming to the University of Missouri to further his education. McDonald wanted to study nutrition and exercise physiology (NEP), and he wanted to take advantage of the MU Student Rec Complex, an award-winning facility. He felt both opportunities would allow him to grow in his…
Senior Spotlight: Laith Almashharawi
Almashharawi will graduate with degrees in biochemistry and film studies
The son of a physician, Laith Almashharawi chose the pre-med path when he made the decision to attend the University of Missouri, and the biochemistry degree program at MU offered him exactly what he was looking for. Almashharawi grew up in Columbia and attended Rock Bridge High School, and said Mizzou was his first choice when it came to secondary…
Senior Spotlight: Wes Bradshaw
Bradshaw will graduate with a degree in agricultural systems technology
When Wes Bradshaw made the decision to attend the University of Missouri, he was in search of a degree program that would be the most helpful to him as he returned to the family farm after graduation. Bradshaw’s family has farmed for generations, and he wanted to make sure his education at Mizzou would allow him to build on his…
Senior Spotlight: Audrey Hannah
Hannah will graduate with a degree in agribusiness management
Audrey Hannah knew that she had multiple options when she chose to study at the University of Missouri College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (CAFNR). Hannah’s father is a farmer who also enjoys speculative trading, and Hannah said they spent a lot of time discussing both topics. Hannah’s enjoyment of numbers, plus her enriching discussions with her father, led…
Senior Spotlight: Elias Bunting
Bunting will graduate with a degree in natural resource science and management
Elias Bunting has been able to gain valuable research experiences as an undergraduate student at the University of Missouri through the McNair Scholars Program. Bunting, who will earn his natural resource science and management degree in May, has spent nearly three years taking part in various research projects across the Mizzou campus. Those hands-on research opportunities have opened multiple doors…
Senior Spotlight: Gina Vekkos
Vekkos will graduate with a degree in hospitality management
An avid sports fan, Gina Vekkos was able to secure an internship last summer with the Schaumburg Boomers, a professional independent baseball team that plays in the Frontier League. There was just one minor problem – baseball wasn’t a sport that Vekkos knew much about. However, with the encouragement of a professor in the hospitality management degree program, Vekkos’ major,…
Senior Spotlight: Hunter Seubert
Seubert will graduate with a degree in plant sciences
As a college freshman, Hunter Seubert was working toward a degree in aviation when he realized that path wasn’t the correct one for him. He returned home to Blue Springs, Mo., and was soon connected with Colonial Gardens, a community greenhouse and local nursery. Seubert worked for Kevin Keilig, greenhouse manager at Colonial Gardens, who introduced Seubert to the University…