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Summer Program Offers Talented Missouri High School Students New Opportunities at MU

June 7th, 2011

Story Contact: Nathan Hurst, 573-882-6217, hurstn@missouri.edu

COLUMBIA, Mo. – This summer at the Missouri Scholars Academy (MSA), hosted by the University of Missouri, 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 University of Missouri 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.”

MSA began in 1985, and by the end of this summer more than 9,000 Missouri students will have participated in the annual program, which provides students unique opportunities to expand their educational and social skills. This year, from June 12 through July 2, 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. Nearly every county in the state is represented.

“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. Students will learn from experts in the fields of Islam and Scottish culture, learn the science behind NASCAR and discuss the issues such as the national debt. Participants also will get the chance to visit with Missouri’s Poet Laureate as well as match wits against the Missouri state Scrabble champion.

“We want these students to go for it, to plunge right in to these great learning opportunities, to live and learn like they have never had a chance to before,” 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. Tarko says 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. Many MSA alumni participate in programs such as Teach for America, Peace Corps or other nonprofit 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.

Funding for the MSA 2011 is provided by the University of Missouri and generous contributions from private groups and corporations including Ameren Missouri. This year, there is also a student activity fee assessed on all participants.

MSA 2011 Roster

First Name Last Name Hometown High School
Kevin Ackermann St. Paul Ft. Zumwalt North High
Shayda Afrassiab Moberly Moberly Sr. High
Breanna Akins Ironton Arcadia Valley High
Clara Albers Berger New Haven High
Sarah Allen St. Louis Ladue Horton Watkins High
Nickolas Allison El Dorado Springs El Dorado Springs High
Helen Alpern Liberty Liberty High
Christian Alten St. Louis Parkway North High
Adam Arcipowski St. Louis Metro High
Emma Arett St. Louis Metro High
Jacob Ash California California High
Jordan Backes Linn Helias High School
Kylie Bain Lees Summit Raymore-Peculiar Sr. High
Josiah Baker Lees Summit Blue Springs South High
Claire Banderas Lees Summit Archbishop O’Hara High
Jantzen Bates Springfield Central High
Samantha Behen Gladstone Oak Park High
Ananya Benegal Fenton Lindbergh Sr. High
Nicholas Benham Branson Branson High
Erin Bennett Raymore Raymore-Peculiar Sr. High
John Bentley Springfield Springfield Catholic High School
Zachary Bequette Hallsville Hallsville High
Nick Bira Troy St. Dominic High School
Kislay Bishnupuri Fenton Metro High
Celeste Blum Bonne Terre North Co. Sr. High
Andrew Boal Ballwin Lafayette Sr. High
Austin Boice Lamar Lamar High
Jennifer Boston Berkeley McCluer High
Robert Branson Butler Butler High
Sean Brennan Columbia Columbia-Hickman High
Auric Brockfeld Cole Camp Cole Camp R-I High
Grace Brown Liberty Liberty North High
Samuel Bumgardner Independence Truman High
Kayla Burns Lee’s Summit Lee’s Summit Sr. High
Louis Burton Hannibal Hannibal Sr. High
Craig Buschkoetter Lake St. Louis Chaminade College Prep School
Slava Butkovich Blue Springs Blue Springs High
Elizabeth Carroll Chesterfield Parkway West High
Hannah Carter Farmington Farmington Sr. High
Sydni Carter Warrensburg Warrensburg High
Jin Chang Springfield Parkview High
Serena Chang Springfield Central High
Leela Chapman Manchester Parkway South High
Arjuna Chatrathi Lees Summit Rockhurst High School
Daniel Chen Kansas City Park Hill High
Isabella Cianciolo Kansas City Center Sr. High
Anthony Clapp Kansas City Lincoln College Prep.
Darcy Cochran Bolivar Bolivar High
Jacob Cohen Chesterfield Marquette Sr. High
Christopher Colletti Grover Eureka Sr. High
Brianna Collins Jackson Jackson Senior High
Chad Conaty St. Charles Francis Howell North High
Lincoln Connell Norwood Norwood High
Jacob Connelly Kansas City Winnetonka High
Nathaniel Conway Kansas City Park Hill High
Heather Cook Perryville Perryville Sr. High
Alicia Coronado Manchester Parkway South High
Jared Counts St. Peters Ft. Zumwalt South High
Courtney Cramer Hamilton Penney High
Zoey Craun Rolla Rolla Sr. High
Ethan Currier Marshfield Marshfield High
Darby Dachroeden Florrissant McCluer North High
David Daniel Independence William Chrisman High
Trevor Darby Hartsburg Southern Boone High
Marissa Dasta Saint Joseph Benton High
Jill Davis Brookline Republic High
Justin Davis-Morgan St. Louis Saint Louis Priory School
Avery Day Marshfield Marshfield High
Lucas Day Rolla Rolla Sr. High
Grace Dearing St. Louis Metro High
Grace Deitzler University City University City Sr. High
John del Rosario, Jr. St. Louis Saint Louis Priory School
Alexis Diaz Independence Truman High
Kyle Dillon Joplin Joplin High
Blake Dixon Easton St. Joseph Central High
Danielle Doerr Joplin Joplin High
Michael Doman Kirksville Kirksville Sr. High
Trevor Donnelly St. Clair St. Clair High
Courtney Dorris O’Fallon Ft. Zumwalt West High
Noah Dromgoole University City Crossroads School
Anna Duban Florrissant Trinity Catholic High School
James Edgington Kennett Kennett High
Ellen Eisenhour Springfield Central High
Ahmed Elbermawy Canton Canton High
Rachelle Engen Bates City Odessa High
Dani Eschweiler St. Charles St. Charles West High
Hank Essman Springfield Central High
Nancy Fairbank Springfield Central High
Jacob Fallman Bates City Oak Grove High
Ethan Farber University City University City Sr. High
Stephanie Fei St. Louis Lindbergh Sr. High
Anjali Fernandes Creve Coeur Pattonville Sr. High
Joseph Fessenden Troy Troy Buchanan High
Andrew Floyd Columbia Rock Bridge Sr. High
Joshua Freeman Ava Ava High
Jacob Freyermuth Columbia Rock Bridge Sr. High
Nicholas Gaeke St. Louis Lutheran High School North
Justin Genova Chesterfield De Smet Jesuit High School
Tanner Gentges Westphalia Fatima High
Timothy Gerlach Hillsboro Hillsboro High
Hannah Gerlt Foristell Emil E. Holt Sr. High
Kelly Gillock Puxico Puxico High School
Katlyn Gladson Independence Truman High
Annalise Goeke St. Louis Hancock High
Travis Golick St. Louis St. Louis University High School
Elizabeth Goodfellow Columbia Rock Bridge Sr. High
Katelyn Goodwin Camdenton Camdenton High
Morgan Grandon Troy Troy Buchanan High
Michele Griffin Mexico Mexico High
Laura Grisham West Plains West Plains Sr. High
Michael Gulve St. Louis Webster Groves High
Sean Gundersen St. Charles Francis Howell Central High
Stephen Hagen St. Louis Metro High
Nicholas Hakmiller Chesterfield Lafayette Sr. High
Andrew Halsell Sedalia Smith-Cotton High School
Gregory Hamilton Springfield Willard High
Kasey Hancock Pacific Eureka Sr. High
Girija Hariprasad Ballwin Mary Institute/Country Day School
Jacob Harmon Camdenton Camdenton High
Edgar Harper St. Louis Metro High
Riley Hawkins Imperial Windsor High
Claire Hawley Lees Summit Lee’s Summit North High
Hattie Hayes Grain Valley Grain Valley High
Carolyn Heger St. Louis St. Joseph’s Academy
Madeline Hemphill Kansas City Park Hill High
Claire Herbst Cape Girardeau Cape Central High
Brooke Herrera Lees Summit Blue Springs South High
David Hershberger Chillicothe Chillicothe High
Jessica Ho St. Louis Metro High
Nancy Holbrook Carl Junction Carl Junction High
Dylan Howard Raytown Raytown South Sr. High
Zachary Howe O’Fallon Ft. Zumwalt West High
Rachel Howieson Sedalia Smith-Cotton High School
Taylor Hughes Joplin Joplin High
Clara Hughes St. Peters Duchesne High School
Mary Humphrey Kansas City Notre Dame de Sion High School
Samuel Hunt St. Louis Metro High
Hang Huynh St. Louis Metro High
Brittany James Lees Summit Lee’s Summit West High
Alyssa Johnson Washington Washington High
Alexandra Jones Kirkwood Kirkwood Sr. High
Cedric Jones Spanish Lake Hazelwood East High
Conor Joplin Chesterfield De Smet Jesuit High School
Hailey Jordan Raytown Archbishop O’Hara High
Adam Kaminsky Bridgeton Pattonville Sr. High
Anthony Kawecki Smithville Smithville High
Georgia Kaye St. Louis Rosati-Kain High
James Keckley Carl Junction Carl Junction High
Miranda Ketcherside De Soto Desoto Sr. High
Sarah Khan Jefferson City Columbia Independent School
Dakota Kiper Independence William Chrisman High
Jordan Kirk Kansas City Grandview Sr. High
Sara Knowles Maryville Maryville High
Ajinkya Kokate Chesterfield Metro High
Arianne Kreger Kearney Kearney High
Zachary LaMarre Springfield Central High
James Langston Springfield Parkview High
Kayna Lantz Springfield Glendale High
Tristan Laughlin Independence William Chrisman High
Gabriel Lawton St. Louis Metro High
Hughes Lee Jefferson City Jefferson City High
Tiffany Lee St. Louis Lindbergh Sr. High
Kristin Lenz St. Louis Mehlville High School
Elizabeth Linberger Shelbyville North Shelby High
Ryan Link Kansas City Staley High
Sydney Loethen Lees Summit Lee’s Summit West High
Haley Loftis Kansas City Staley High
Todd Lombardi St. Louis St. Mary’s High School
Anson Long-Seabra Blue Springs Blue Springs High
Ocean Lu Springfield Central High
Seth Ludwig Chesterfield Lafayette Sr. High
Elizabeth Lueder St. Louis Academy of the Visitation
Yunshu Luo Chesterfield Marquette Sr. High
Jaron Ma Ballwin Parkway West High
Brandon Maddick Lathrop Lathrop High
Logan Malach O’Fallon Ft. Zumwalt West High
Corey Marquardt Springfield Kickapoo High
Brendan Marsh Grover Eureka Sr. High
Yuri Martinez-Moylan Saint Joseph St. Joseph Central High
Zackery Maser Braymer Braymer High
Karan Mathur Chesterfield Marquette Sr. High
Corey Matzat Nixa Branson High
Tanner May Lake St. Louis Emil E. Holt Sr. High
Hannah McCausland Kansas City St. Teresa’s Academy
Alexandra McCrosky West Plains West Plains Sr. High
JoHannah McDonald Moscow Mills Troy Buchanan High
Brenden McKeon De Soto Desoto Sr. High
John McNamara Farmington Farmington Sr. High
Kevin McPartland Florrissant Hazelwood Central High
Austin McWilliams Poplar Bluff Poplar Bluff High
Timothy Middlemas Kirksville Kirksville Sr. High
Michael Miles Hannibal Hannibal Sr. High
Dorian Miller Marshfield Strafford High
Stuart Miller Kansas City Park Hill South High
Corina Minden-Birkenmaier St. Louis John Burroughs School
Jorie Mink Webb City Webb City High
Teddi Moorman Lake Ozark Osage High
Malcolm Moses Kansas City Rockhurst High School
Austin Moudy Marceline Marceline High
Taylor Moyer O’Fallon Ft. Zumwalt North High
Ashley Muench Ste. Genevieve Valle Catholic High School
Claire Mullaney Ballwin Cor Jesu Academy
Ayrton Munoz Kansas City Staley High
Brendan Murphy Imperial Lutheran High School South
Zachary Murphy Chesterfield Lafayette Sr. High
Tiffany Newburry Desloge North Co. Sr. High
Zachary Nicewarner St. Charles Francis Howell High
Alexander Noddings Chesterfield Saint Louis Priory School
Haley Null Festus Jefferson High
Lian Ojakangas Springfield Central High
Obasi Onuoha O’Fallon Ft. Zumwalt West High
Olivia Paden Dearborn North Platte High
Abigail Page St. Peters Ft. Zumwalt South High
Raymond Page Bland Owensville High
Ye Eun Park Springfield Kickapoo High
Shelbey Parnell St. Louis Metro High
Willow Pastard St. Louis Metro High
Eric Patterson Joplin College Heights Christian School
Hannah Payne Darlington Albany High
Doraida Perez Kansas City Ruskin High
Justin Persell Richmond Richmond R-16 High
Caitlin Pettman Kansas City Lincoln College Prep.
Allison Pierce Fulton Fulton Sr. High
Mauricio Pimentel St. Louis Metro High
Corinne Piotter Columbia Columbia-Hickman High
Daijah Porchia Kansas City Ruskin High
Devin Powell Ballwin Lafayette Sr. High
Duane Price Independence Truman High
Kelly Proctor Saint Joseph Lafayette High
James Pugh St. Peters Francis Howell Central High
Spenser Pulleyking Springfield Central High
Tess Rawlins St. Albans The Fulton School at St. Albans
Shelby Rees Palmyra Palmyra High
Miranda Reese St. Louis Bayless Senior High
Matthew Reynolds Joplin Webb City High
Laura Rice Excelsior Springs Excelsior Springs High
Andrew Riggs Webster Groves Metro High
Lucille Right St. Louis Oakville Sr. High
Timothy Rinker Kansas City Center Sr. High
Corey Robertson Cape Girardeau Jackson Senior High
Kathryn Rodman Boonville Boonville High
Catherine Rodriguez Columbia Rock Bridge Sr. High
Alyse Rogers Lake St. Louis Barat Academy
Thomas Roustio Independence Blue Springs High
Kendra Rowey St. Louis Parkway North High
Emily Royer Lees Summit Blue Springs South High
Maximilian Schindler St. Louis Ladue Horton Watkins High
Kyle Schloss Fenton Rockwood Summit High
Rebecca Schreiber Fenton Northwest High
Ariana Schulte DeSoto Hillsboro High
Khala Schulte Russellville Russellville High
Jacqueline Schultz Florrissant McCluer North High
Emily Schwenneker Princeton Princeton R-V High
Rachel Scott St. Louis Oakville Sr. High
Tyler Scott Gladstone Oak Park High
Thomas Shannan Kahoka Scotland Co. R-I High
Emily Sheets Cape Girardeau Cape Central High
Kevin Shi Chesterfield Marquette Sr. High
Daniel Shyu Columbia Columbia-Hickman High
Taylor Singleton Kansas City Ruskin High
Christina Sittser Ballwin Parkway South High
Bailey Smith Lee’s Summit Lee’s Summit Sr. High
Makenzie Smith Jefferson City Jefferson City High
Thomas Nick Smith Kansas City Park Hill South High
James Sorsen St. Louis Pattonville Sr. High
Nicole Sparks Fenton Rockwood Summit High
Matthew Spencer Columbia Christian Fellowship School
Benjamin Spitznagel St. Louis Metro High
Emily Spreitzer Kearney Kearney High
Blake Stephens Plattsburg Plattsburg High
Taylor Stevens Jefferson City Jefferson City High
Taylor Straatmann Washington Washington High
Rebekah Strode Belle Belle High
Jensen Tedrow Lees Summit Lee’s Summit North High
Jason Tian Warrensburg Warrensburg High
David Ting Springfield Central High
Felix Titalangha Kansas City Ruskin High
Benjamin Trask St. Louis Metro High
Kristina Tschomakoff St. Louis Metro High
Matthew Tucker Ballwin Eureka Sr. High
Kenya Turner Hazelwood McCluer High
Tyler Uhrich Ste. Genevieve Ste. Genevieve Sr. High
Adam Venneman O’Fallon Ft. Zumwalt West High
Christopher Vlamis Liberty Liberty High
Hien Vo St. Louis Metro High
Zachary Vogel Jackson Saxony Lutheran High
Rachel Volmert Columbia Rock Bridge Sr. High
Catherine Wagner St. Louis Villa Duchesne/Oak Hill School
Forrest Walker Kansas City North Kansas City High
Joselyn Walsh Canton Canton High
David Wang Grover Lafayette Sr. High
Callie Warren Kansas City North Kansas City High
Taylor Washburn Eagleville North Harrison High
Paul Watkins Ferguson Crossroads School
Grant Watkins-Davis Buckner Fort Osage High
Lillian Webster St. Louis Nerinx Hall High School
Martha Weilert Kansas City Lee’s Summit North High
Benjamin Weinstock St. Louis Parkway North High
Avery Welker Perryville Perryville Sr. High
Erin Welker Marble Hill Meadow Heights High
Caleb Welsh O’Fallon Ft. Zumwalt West High
Christina Wesley St. Louis Parkway North High
Hannah Wiedner St. Louis Parkway Central High
Preston Williams Kansas City University Academy-Upper
Haley Willis Republic Republic High
Dean Wilson Foristell St. Francis Borgia Regional High School
Madeline Wilson St. Charles Francis Howell Central High
Martina Wilson Kirkwood Kirkwood Sr. High
Glenn Winfrey Sibley Fort Osage High
Alexandra Wirth St. Louis Bishop Du Bourg High School
Logan Wittmaier Defiance Francis Howell High
Michael Witwer Chesterfield St. John Vianney High School
Daniel Woods Jonesburg Warrenton High
Clayton Woolery Joplin Thomas Jefferson Independent School
Crystal Wren Florrissant Hazelwood Central High
Mitchel Wride St. Louis Webster Groves High
Paige Wulff St. Charles Orchard Farm Sr. High
Yuxuan Xiao Kansas City Liberty High
Bowen Yang Columbia Columbia-Hickman High
Joy Yang Chesterfield Parkway Central High
Jason Yarber Milo Nevada High
Jason Yuan Saint Joseph St. Joseph Central High
Samantha Zuehlke Fenton Ursuline Academy

 

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