Program Offers Talented Missouri High School Students New Opportunities at MU
June 2nd, 2010
Story Contact: Nathan Hurst, 573-882-6217, hurstn@missouri.edu
COLUMBIA, Mo. – This summer at the Missouri Scholars Academy (MSA), approximately 330 high school students across Missouri will have the opportunity of a lifetime, and perhaps more importantly, a chance to be themselves.
“MSA provides a place for bright and talented students to realize there are others out there like themselves,” said Ted Tarkow, director of the program and associate dean of the MU College of Arts and Science. “Sometimes high school students feel like it’s a liability to be bright and talented. The MSA validates that it’s OK to be bright and talented.”
Since its establishment in 1985, more than 8,000 Missouri students have participated in the annual program, which provides students unique opportunities to expand their educational and social skills. This year, from June 13 through July 3, students will spend the bulk of each day in an intensive classroom setting, studying one of four individually selected subjects, including mathematics, science, social studies and humanities. Each Missouri high school is allowed to nominate one junior-to-be for the academy; larger schools may nominate more.
“I look back on my summer spent with you with the fondest of memories,” said Erica Endicott, who attended MSA in 1997. “I think of it as one of the happiest times of my life.”
Outside the classroom, students are introduced to a series of activities, workshops and discussions by guest speakers. This year’s program focuses around the theme of sustainability and “going green”. Students will get to learn from experts in the fields of Islam and the Holocaust and discuss the nation’s health policy. Participants also will get the chance to visit with someone involved in the Haitian relief efforts as well as match wits against the Missouri state Scrabble champion and chess grand master.
“The goal of the academy is to open doors for bright Missouri kids,” Tarkow said. “We want to help them network as well as drive home the idea that being smart is a good thing.”
MSA participants are among the top 0.5 percent of Missouri students academically. Individuals who attend the academy leave with the understanding that they have a responsibility to share their talents with others for the betterment of their local Missouri communities, Tarkow said. Many MSA alumni participate in programs such as Teach for America, Peace Corps or other not-for-profit organizations. MSA alumni also continue to succeed academically. Of those who are old enough, 98 percent of academy alumni have graduated from high school, 90 percent have graduated from college and nearly 2,500 alumni have earned graduate or professional degrees.
The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education coordinated this year’s scholar selection process. Funding for the MSA 2010 is provided by the state, the University of Missouri, and by private corporate contributions. Other aspects of the MSA 2010 are sponsored by the University of Missouri.
EDITOR’S NOTE: A list of students attending the Missouri Scholars Academy, sorted alphabetically by city, is attached.
| Grace | Anna | Albany | Albany High School |
| Wildhaber | Emily | Argyle | Fatima High School |
| Dalton | Michael | Arnold | Fox Sr. High School |
| Bramer | Amelia | Ash Grove | Mt. Vernon High School |
| Johanson | Gunnar | Ash Grove | Ash Grove R-IV High School |
| Simpson | Alana | Ashland | Southern Boone County High School |
| Cheng | Emily | Ballwin | South High School |
| Healy | Sarah | Ballwin | Marquette Sr. High School |
| Hsu | Silas | Ballwin | Metro High School |
| Kuehnle | Andrew | Ballwin | West High School |
| Lin | John | Ballwin | South High School |
| Lu | Richard | Ballwin | Lafayette Senior High School |
| Robinson | Rebecca | Ballwin | Marquette High School |
| Sprenger | Brandon | Ballwin | Eureka High School |
| Weis | Gavin | Ballwin | Marquette High School |
| Gubina | Sasha | Belton | Harrisonville High School |
| Parrott | Ashleigh | Belton | Belton High School |
| Pierce | Luke | Belton | Belton High School |
| Bartlett | Sean | Blue Springs | Blue Springs High School |
| Hildenbrand | Jordan | Blue Springs | Blue Springs High School |
| Ray | Jordan | Blue Springs | Blue Springs South High School |
| Smith | Nathan | Blue Springs | Blue Springs High School |
| Swingle | Rosalie | Blue Springs | Blue Springs South High School |
| Hickman | Peter | bonne Terre | North County Senior High School |
| Johnson | Kyle | Boonville | Boonville High School |
| Richerson | Amanda | Boonville | Boonville High School |
| Davison | David | Branson | Branson High School |
| Spradling | Chadwick | Branson | Branson High School |
| Maser | Jaykob | Braymer | Braymer High School |
| Lee | Amy | Brentwood | Brentwood High School |
| Prather | Marc | Bridgeton | Pattonville High School |
| Cochran | Kelly | Buckner | Fort Osage High School |
| Simpson | Trustin | Butler | Butler R-V High School |
| Pratt | Christopher | Cameron | Cameron High School |
| Kiblinger | Elizabeth | Cape Girardeau | Notre Dame High School |
| Martin | Kelsey | Cape Girardeau | Central High School |
| Pettet | Geoffrey | Cape Girardeau | Cape Central High School |
| Swingle | Veronica | Cape Girardeau | Cape Central High School |
| Brownfield | Allison | Carthage | Carthage High School |
| Whitehead | Charles | Carthage | Carthage Senior High School |
| Griffin | Chelsea | Centralia | Centralia High School |
| Flores | Abigail | Chesterfield | Marquette Sr. High School |
| Gu | David | Chesterfield | John Burroughs School |
| Hoekzema | Hannah | Chesterfield | Westminster Christian Academy |
| Marks | Rachel | Chesterfield | St. Joseph’s Academy |
| Romero | Tyler | Chesterfield | Lafayette High School |
| Shih | Rebecca | Chesterfield | Marquette High School |
| Wang | James | Chesterfield | Parkway West High School |
| Kropp | Caitlin | Clayton | Clayton High School |
| Li | Shuyang | Clayton | Clayton High School |
| Journey | Jessica | Clinton | Clinton Senior High School |
| Hoffman | Jeanna | Columbia | Columbia Hickman High School |
| Hwang | Daniel | Columbia | Columbia-Hickman High School |
| Johnson | Trenton | Columbia | Rock Bridge Senior High School |
| Minchew | Cassandra | Columbia | Rock Bridge High School |
| Penton | Eric | Columbia | Harrisburg High School |
| Scott | Amy | Columbia | Rock Bridge Senior High School |
| Tarrant | Jacob | Columbia | Columbia Independent School |
| Taylor | Benjamin | Columbia | Christian Fellowship School |
| Udawatta | Methma | Columbia | Rock Bridge Senior High School |
| Van Doren | Annmarie | Columbia | Columbia-Hickman High School |
| Wu | Peter | Columbia | Columbia-Hickman High School |
| Zhang | Angela | Columbia | Rock Bridge Senior High School |
| Beydler | Alexandra | Concordia | Concordia High School |
| Diamond | Isaac | Cosby | Savannah High School |
| Brechbuhler | Elizabeth | Crane | Aurora High School |
| Eltahir | Ahmed | Creve Coeur | Central High School |
| Imbeah | Paa | Creve Court | North High School |
| McKeon | Jared | DeSoto | DeSoto High School |
| Shanklin | Kirsten | DeSoto | De Soto High School |
| Sparks | Olivia | Eldon | Eldon High School |
| Munden | Jade | Ellisville | Marquette High School |
| Dieckhaus | Christopher | Eureka | Eureka Sr. High School |
| Kinealy | Tracy | Eureka | Villa Duchesne/Oak Hill School |
| Casey | Jessica | Excelsior Springs | Excelsior Springs High School |
| Farr | Sarah | Excelsior Springs | Excelsior Springs High School |
| Hitson | William | Farmington | Farmington Sr. High School |
| Purkett | Connor | Farmington | Farmington Sr. High School |
| Tarakai | Nazow | Fayette | Fayette High School |
| Cooley | Matthew | Fenton | St. Louis University High School |
| Sanchez | Maria | Fenton | Nerinx Hall High School |
| Schnur | Julie | Fenton | Cor Jesu Academy |
| McDonald | Glennon | Ferguson | McCluer High School |
| Cover | Miranda | Festus | Fox Sr. High School |
| Fischer | Taylor | Festus | Herculaneum High School |
| Sansoucie | William | Festus | Festus Senior High School |
| Lewis | Temira | Florissant | Metro High School |
| Thompson | Madeline | Florissant | Lutheran High School North |
| Walsh | Conner | Florissant | Trinity Catholic High School |
| Hall | Holly | Fredericktown | Fredericktown High School |
| Risberg | James | Ft. Leonard Wood | Waynesville Senior High School |
| Clardy | Emma | Fulton | South Callaway High School |
| Hinchie | Joshua | Fulton | Fulton Senior High School |
| Youd | Michael | Gallatin | Gallatin High School |
| Schlotthauer | Erika | Gladstone | Winnetonka High School |
| Shope | Joshua | Gladstone | Winnetonka High School |
| Luciani | Jacob | Glendale | Lindbergh Senior High School |
| Wheeler | Jordan | Glenwood | Schuyler County High School |
| Fulk | Mahlia | Grain Valley | Grain Valley High School |
| Vircks | Brandt | Grain Valley | Grain Valley High School |
| Black | Britton | Greenfield | Greenfield High School |
| Fain | Trevor | Grover | Eureka Sr. High School |
| Crouch | Julia | Hallsville | Hallsville High School |
| Woods | Matthew | Hamilton | Penney High School |
| Laks | Kane | Hannibal | Hannibal Senior High School |
| Wasinger | Sara | Hannibal | Hannibal Senior High School |
| Brown | Carlee | Harrisonville | Harrisonville High School |
| Durnell | Jenna | Harwood | El Dorado Springs High School |
| Niiro | Leslie | Hermann | Hermann High School |
| Skawinski | Chase | High Ridge | Northwest High School |
| Skarha | Shannon | Hillsboro | Hillsboro High School |
| Stinson | Rachel | Hillsboro | Hillsboro High School |
| Fewell | Riley | House Springs | Northwest High School |
| Wilson | Duankillus | Howardville | Central High School |
| James III | Thomas | imperial | Seckman Senior High School |
| Moon | Laura | Imperial | Seckman High School |
| Atkison | Charley | Independence | William Chrisman High School |
| Lovewell | Carnahan | Independence | Truman High School |
| Madison | Nicholas | Independence | William Chrisman High School |
| Muelleman | Andrew | Independence | Truman High School |
| Sexton | Delaney | Independence | Truman High School |
| Smith | James Collin | Independence | Center Place Restoration School |
| Elliott | Wayne | Jefferson City | Jefferson City High School |
| Mills | Erin | Jefferson City | Helias High School |
| Rose | Levi | Jefferson City | Helias High School |
| Thoenen | Elizabeth | Jefferson City | Jefferson City High School |
| Mann | Taylor | Joplin | Waynesville Senior High School |
| Wilson | Evan | Joplin | Joplin High School |
| Ameryun | David | Kansas City | North Kansas City High School |
| Blake | Tiffany | Kansas City | Hickman Mills Sr. High School |
| Bolton | LaShanda | Kansas City | Ruskin High School |
| Buehler | Colby | Kansas City | Park Hill High School |
| Burtin | Travis | Kansas City | University Academy-Upper |
| Catton | Daniel | Kansas City | Liberty High School |
| Crowe | Mary | Kansas City | Notre Dame de Sion High School |
| Curfman | Samantha | Kansas City | Southwest Early College Campus |
| Dunalewicz | David | Kansas City | Park Hill High School |
| French | Alyssa | Kansas City | Lincoln College Prep |
| Hernandez | Monica | Kansas City | Raytown Sr. High School |
| Hughes | Christopher | Kansas City | Staley High School |
| Jensen | Jordan | Kansas City | Center Senior High School |
| Johnson | Andrea | Kansas City | North Kansas City High School |
| Johnson | Joshua | Kansas City | Oak Park High School |
| Johnson | Scott | Kansas City | Rockhurst High School |
| Meier | Janet | Kansas City | Oak Park High School |
| Needham | Katherine | Kansas City | St. Teresa’s Academy |
| Niederberger | Erin | Kansas City | North Kansas City High School |
| Noll | Madison | Kansas City | Center High School |
| Perkins | Marjorie | Kansas City | Staley High School |
| Richards | Evan | Kansas City | Liberty High School |
| Richards-Strassle | Austin | Kansas City | Hickman Mills High School |
| Rogers | Leonard | Kansas City | Platte County R-III High School |
| To | Christopher | Kansas City | Park Hill High School |
| Yi | Mack | Kansas City | Liberty High School |
| Adams | Heather | Kearney | Kearney High School |
| Lester | Lauren | Kearney | Kearney High School |
| Barrera | Penny May | Kennett | Kennett High School |
| Crist | Conner | Kirksville | Kirksville Sr. High School |
| Jaschek | Charles | Kirkwood | Kirkwood Senior High School |
| Mullendore | Julia | Kirkwood | Kirkwood High School |
| Hayden | Joseph | Labadie | Washington High School |
| McGowan | Jennifer | Lake Ozark | Osage High School |
| Flynn | Austin | Lake St. Louis | Emil E. Holt Sr. High School |
| Lucas | Hannah | Lake St. Louis | Emil E. Holt Senior High School |
| Russell | Jonathan | Lake St. Louis | Emil E. Holt Senior High School |
| Haskins | Bryon | Lamar | Lamar High School |
| Henson | Jordan | Lawson | Lawson High School |
| Brown | Cameron | Lebanon | Lebanon Sr. High School |
| Collins | Tyler | Lebanon | Lebanon Sr. High School |
| Douglas | Sara | Lee’s Summit | Blue Springs South High School |
| Jones | Christina | Lee’s Summit | Lee’s Summit High School |
| Smith | Brendan | Lee’s Summit | Lee’s Summit High School |
| Smith | Maria | Lee’s Summit | Blue Springs South High School |
| Strong | Charles | Lee’s Summit | Lee’s Summit West High School |
| Welsh-Appleby | Brooke | Lee’s Summit | Lee’s Summit High School |
| Wengler | Jenna | Lee’s Summit | Lee’s Summit North High School |
| Wheelock | Rachel | Lee’s Summit | Lee’s Summit North High School |
| Wilson | Kellie | Lee’s Summit | Raymore-Peculiar High School |
| Zhang | Katie | Lee’s Summit | Lee’s Summit West High School |
| Dice | Bradley | Liberty | Liberty High School |
| Womble | Blake | Lonedell | St. Clair R-13 High School |
| Golden | Hunter | Maiden | Malden High School |
| Montero | Mariana | Manchester | West High School |
| Enyeart | Taylor | Marceline | Marceline High School |
| Maples | AnnaMaria | Marionville | Marionville High School |
| Kelly | Kirsten | Marshall | Marshall Senior High School |
| Henson | Cody | Maryland Heights | Pattonville Sr. High School |
| Corson | Ashton | Maryville | Maryville High School |
| Perll | Michael | Mexico | Mexico High School |
| Afrassiab | Zaina | Moberly | Moberly Sr. High School |
| Kaimann | Laura | Moscow Mills | Troy Buchanan High School |
| Ducommun | Bobby | Neosho | Neosho High School |
| Pendergrass | McKenzie | Neosho | Neosho High School |
| Dockery | Trey | Nevada | Nevada High School |
| Menke | Abigail | New Haven | New Haven High School |
| Endacott | Ryan | Nixa | Nixa High School |
| Huelga | Marquita | Nixa | Nixa High School |
| Smith | Devon | Nixa | Nixa High School |
| Matheney | Matthew | Novinger | Adair County High School |
| Anjeh | Della | O’Fallon | Academy of the Visitation |
| Bruns | Sarah | O’Fallon | St. Dominic High School |
| Fields | Sean | O’Fallon | Timberland High School |
| Hanneke | Andrew | O’Fallon | Ft. Zumwalt North High School |
| Heimann | Gregory | O’Fallon | De Smet Jesuit High School |
| Kalleberg | Kara | O’Fallon | Fort Zumwalt West High School |
| Ritter | Anthony | O’Fallon | Fort Zumwalt North High School |
| Schaller | Connor | O’Fallon | Francis Howell High School |
| Seago | Lauren | Palmyra | Palmyra High School |
| Ebbesmeyer | Joshua | Paris | Paris High School |
| Clark | Connor | parkville | Park Hill South High School |
| Panella | Teresa | Parkville | Park Hill South High School |
| Sanders | Kyle | Poplar Bluff | Poplar Bluff High School |
| Barron | Rebecca | Raymore | Raymore-Peculiar Sr. High School |
| Duane | Meghan | Raymore | Raymore-Peculiar Sr. High School |
| Settle | Megan | Raymore | Raymore-Peculiar Senior High School |
| Howey | David | Raytown | Raytown South Senior High School |
| McFerren | Zachary | Raytown | Raytown South High School |
| Sims | Charleen | Raytown | Raytown C-2 High School |
| Spratt | Brittney | Raytown | Raytown South High School |
| Summers | Joseph | Raytown | Raytown South High School |
| Buckner | Alissa | Republic | Republic High School |
| Gochenauer | Alexandria | Republic | Republic High School |
| Dickson | Justin | Richmond | Orrick High School |
| Chowdhury | Nabeel | Rolla | Rolla Sr. High School |
| Hogan | Kyle | Rolla | Rolla Senior High School |
| Wehmeyer | Michelle | Rosebud | Owensville High School |
| Windmiller | Lafe | Salisbury | Salisbury R-IV High School |
| Thornton | Bradly | Savannah | Savannah High School |
| Bush | Jordan | Sedalia | Smith-Cotton High School |
| Kostopolus | Emma | Sedalia | Smith-Cotton High School |
| Thompson | Landon | Sedgewickville | Meadow Heights R-II High School |
| Engram | Isaac | Sikeston | Sikeston Sr. High School |
| Scherer | Ethan | Sikeston | Sikeston Senior High School |
| Miller | Casey | Silex | Silex R-1 High School |
| Scott | Jordan | Smithville | Smithville High School |
| Adkins | Laura | Springfield | Central High School |
| Bosch | Yarra | Springfield | Central High School |
| Fursa | Hanna | Springfield | Kickapoo High School |
| Horner | Jordyn | Springfield | Kickapoo High School |
| Hundley | Katherine | Springfield | Kickapoo High School |
| Larson | Sara | Springfield | Springfield Catholic High School |
| Ledger | Gregory | Springfield | Central High School |
| Liu | Shuaizheng | Springfield | Central High School |
| Park | Chris | Springfield | Kickapoo High School |
| Quirk | Valerie | Springfield | Central High School |
| Stroder | Rachel | Springfield | Greenwood Lab School |
| Tucker | Lacey | Squires | Ava High School |
| Polhamus | Eliessa | St. Charels | Francis Howell North High School |
| Belter | Rebecca | St. Charles | Orchard Farm Sr. High School |
| Busche | Michael | St. Charles | Duchesne High School |
| Hanneke | Tyler | St. Charles | St. Charles West High School |
| Henderson | Claire | St. Charles | Francis Howell Central High School |
| McCullough | Zackary | St. Charles | St. Louis University High School |
| Meyer | Danielle | St. Charles | Francis Howell North High School |
| Pham | Ryan | St. Charles | Francis Howell Central High School |
| Zhang | Qingxi | St. Charles | Francis Howell High School |
| Hinson | Alyssa | St. Clair | St. Clair High School |
| Johnson | Lauren | St. Joesph | Benton High School |
| Bingham | Lauren | St. Joseph | Central High School |
| Catherall | David | St. Joseph | Central High School |
| Edwards | Corinna | St. Joseph | Central High School |
| Lotito | Benjamin | St. Joseph | Lafayette High School |
| Bender | Caleb | St. Louis | Metro High School |
| Berg | Alisa | St. Louis | Crossroads School |
| Cajic | Adela | St. Louis | Affton High School |
| Coffey | Scott | St. Louis | Lindbergh Sr. High School |
| Cole | Laura | St. Louis | Bishop Du Bourg High School |
| Eftimoff | Nicholas | St. Louis | Oakville Sr. High School |
| Epplin-Zapf | Julia | St. Louis | Metro High School |
| Fliss | Thomas | St. Louis | Metro High School |
| Gates | Remy | St. Louis | Metro High School |
| Gokhale | Manali | St. Louis | North High School |
| Grant | Stephanie | St. Louis | Affton High School |
| Graves | Zara | St. Louis | Metro High School |
| He | Shawn | St. Louis | Central High School |
| Ihnat | Katherine | St. Louis | Central High School |
| Jones | Wiley | St. Louis | Webster Groves High School |
| Kapeller | Robert | St. Louis | Mehlville High School |
| Krekeler | Zakary | St. Louis | St. John Vianney High School |
| Levens | Jacob | St. Louis | Ladue Horton Watkins High School |
| Luepker | Emily | St. Louis | Metro High School |
| Mayberry | Rachel | St. Louis | Metro High School |
| O’Brien | Megan | St. Louis | Webster Groves High School |
| Quinn | Nathan | St. Louis | Mehlville High School |
| Roth | Brian | St. Louis | Lindbergh Senior High School |
| Sant | Sayli | St. Louis | Ladue Horton Watkins High School |
| Schaeffer | Tyler | St. Louis | Oakville Senior High School |
| Schriefer | Rebecca | St. Louis | Metro Academic and Classical High School |
| Schulz | Jordan | St. Louis | Visitation Academy |
| Tai | Timothy | St. Louis | Parkway North High School |
| Tobias | Leah | St. Louis | Metro High School |
| Willoughby | Melissa | St. Louis | Notre Dame High School |
| Woods | Karley | St. Louis | Clayton High School |
| Woodson | Donald | St. Louis | Metro High School |
| Zink-Duda | Joshua | St. Louis | St. Louis University High School |
| Coletta | Brendan | St. Peters | Barat Academy |
| Geiger | Jessica | St. Peters | Lutheran High School |
| Hardy | Will | St. Peters | Francis Howell High School |
| Park | Eric | St. Peters | Ft. Zumwalt South High School |
| Smith | Brett | St. Peters | Fort Zumwalt South High School |
| Wavada | Ryan | St. Peters | Fort Zumwalt South High School |
| Winslow | Charles | St. Peters | Francis Howell North High School |
| Herrmann | Carl | St. Robert | Waynesville Sr. High School |
| Kelly | Duncan | Ste. Geneieve | Ste. Genevieve Sr. High School |
| Yoder | Dylan | Stoutland | Richland High School |
| Carrell | Alyssa | Strafford | Strafford High School |
| Center | Kendall | Sullivan | Sullivan Sr. High School |
| Halfaker | Fletcher | Sullivan | Sullivan Sr. High School |
| Van Ausdal | Shaun | Troy | Troy-Buchanan High School |
| Babich | Luke | University City | University City Sr. High School |
| Crowe | Connor | University City | University City Sr. High School |
| Yentumi | Alexander | University City | University City Senior High School |
| Harris | Ian | Warrensburg | Warrensburg High School |
| Nowlin | Erica | Warrensburg | Warrensburg High School |
| Dishman | Callie | Warrenton | Warrenton High School |
| Mauch | Emily | Warrenton | Warrenton High School |
| Conner | Lindsey | Webb City | College Heights Christian School |
| Steubing | Catherine | Webb City | Webb City High School |
| Tappana | Elizabeth | Webb City | Webb City High School |
| Reed | Jessica | Webster Groves | Lutheran High School South |
| Eggert | Tyler | West Plains | West Plains Sr. High School |
| Richter | Kelly | West Plains | West Plains Senior High School |
| Bharadwaj | Mahettha | Wildwood | Thomas Jefferson School |
| Clayman | Kelsey | Wildwood | Lafayette Sr. High |
| Coon | Ryan | Wildwood | Chaminade College Preparatory School |
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