(pictured climbing Qingcheng Mountain in Sichuan, China)

Focus Area: International Business
Study Abroad Experience: China (2019)

Plans:
After working in the field of finance for 2-4 years I plan to return for graduate school

Memorable Experience:
Biking the city wall of Xi'an

Favorite Professor: Michael Volz

Majors:  International Studies and Political Science
Focus Area:  Peace Studies
Study Abroad Experience: Colombia (2018)
 

Experience and Plans:
"I’m graduating with two degrees: International Studies and Political Science with a minor in Leadership and Public Service. My short term academic plan right now is to prepare for the LSAT and in the long term get my JD. I’m first generation college graduate, so this accomplishment is dedicated to my parents, from whom I inherited the strength, the patience and the passion to reach everything I want."

Majors:  
BA in Russian with Honors
BA in International Studies
minor in political science

Awards honors:
Bond International Scholar
Hummel Family Scholar

International Studies Focus Area: Peace Studies

Study Abroad Experience: Russia (2019)

Plans:
Pending developments with COVID-19, I’ll be moving abroad to Georgia in January to teach English on a Fulbright scholarship! After Fulbright, I’m hoping to begin graduate school in the fall of 2021.

International Studies Focus Area: Environmental Studies
Study Abroad Experience: Netherlands (2019)
Graduation Honors: Summa Cum Laude with Honors
Awards and honors: Phi Beta Kappa, A&S Dean's List

Plans:
I'll be working full time for the company Complexy as a video editor on the Crash Course series

Favorite MU Advisor:
Shout out to AnDrea Jackson at the International Center for being the best, most enthusiastic advisor. She cares so much about all of her students and was the best person to tell all of my stories to once I got back from the Netherlands.

Memorable Experience:
My most memorable study abroad experience was definitely my Spring break trip to the UK and Ireland with my new friends that went wrong in every way, we flew on budget airlines, stayed in weird hostels, lost luggage, and some of us got sick, but it still ended up being one of the most fun trips I went on.  

Through studying abroad and my time in International Studies at Mizzou, I had the freedom to explore the subjects and topics I was most interested in, and learned a lot about myself, and so many other cultures around the world. I gained a lot of self-confidence and independence.

Majors: Psychology, International Studies
Focus Area: Peace Studies
Study Abroad Experience: Chile (2018)
Graduation Honors: With Honors

Experience and Plans:
I am a dual-degree student also graduating with a BS in Psychology (emphasis in biology). I spent five months in Chile, and it was a highlight of my undergraduate career. This year, I also completed two projects for publication. One was the result my capstone experience in the MU Alcohol Cognitions Research Laboratory. The other is a product of my Undergraduate Fellowship with the Kinder Institute.

Some of the most meaningful experiences I have had at MU are interactions within the Fellowships Office, which acts as a hub for kind people who invaluably pushed me to do better and reach higher.

(pictured here in Vietnam)

Majors: International Studies, Economics
Focus Area: East Asian Studies
Study Abroad Experience: Taiwan (Summer 2018)
Honors:  
Graduating Magna Cum Laude
The Phi Beta Kappa Society, "Outstanding Senior Award" from the Department of Economics

Experience and Plans:
I will be returning to Mizzou to pursue an MA in Economics through the Missouri Data Fellows program. After graduate school, I'm interested in pursuing a career related to international political economy and American foreign policy in the Indo-Pacific.

(pictured here in Munich, Germany)

Focus Area: International Business
Study Abroad Experience: Czech Republic (2018)
Awards:
Graduating with honors
Mark Twain Scholarship 

Plans:
After Graduation, I plan on beginning my career with Mars Petcare as a Marketing Specialist in St. Louis, MO. I hope to one day work and live abroad and fully immerse myself in a new culture. I am excited to see where this will take me!

Memorable Experience:
My most memorable experience at Mizzou was my Study Abroad experience in Prague, Czech Republic. Not only was I able to meet students from all over the world, but I was able to learn more about International Business. I was able to visit cities all over Europe like Amsterdam, Budapest, Krakow, Dubrovnik and Munich. I also met some of my best friends from Mizzou who love exploring and traveling as much as I do!
(picture was taken in Munich, Germany during Study Abroad)

KASEY ERVIN

International Studies Focus Area: International Business

Study Abroad Experience: Italy (2018)

Graduation Honors: Magna Cum Laude

Focus Area: International Business Emphasis in Marketing
Study Abroad Experience: Madrid, Berlin, London (2019)

Experience:
I’m graduating with a degree in international business with an emphasis in marketing. I had the opportunity to study abroad through CIEE and lived in Madrid, Berlin, and London for 6 weeks in each city. Studying abroad was the highlight of my time at Mizzou.

Focus Area: International Business, emphasis in marketing
Study Abroad Experience: Spain (2018)

Experience and Plans:
I’m an International Business student with an emphasis in marketing, a minor in Spanish, and a multicultural certificate. Over the next year, I plan to work at Maritz Motivation once again with the Loyalty Strategy/Consultant team until I move to Spain for 9 months through the Council on International Educational Exchange Program to teach English and improve my fluency in Spanish. I studied abroad in Alicante, Spain and had the opportunity to travel all over from Logroño to Barcelona, and I’m excited to return to Madrid in September.

Favorite Classes and Professors:
My favorite professor through my studies at the College of Arts and Science was Alicia Aviles-Quinones who I had my first three Spanish classes with!

Focus Area: International Business
Study Abroad Experience: Italy (2018)

Plans:
After graduation I am moving back to St. Louis to work at The Boeing Company in their finance department. 

Memorable Experiences:
The summer after my sophomore year, I studied abroad in Bergamo, Italy which was one of my favorite college experiences. I was able to travel to France, Spain, Germany, Switzerland, and all over Italy and made new friends and memories that I will always remember. My most meaningful experience from study abroad was going to lunch with Italian students and hearing stories about their lives and traditions. 

Favorite Classes and Professors:
My favorite classes at Mizzou were the Warren Buffet class and Global Health.

Majors:
-BS Business Admin (emphasis finance) 
-BA international studies (emphasis German)
- minor in German
Focus Area: International Business
Study Abroad Experience: Germany (2017)

Plans:
moving to Hartford, Connecticut to work for Aetna/CVS Health as a financial analyst in the financial leadership development program. 

Most memorable experience:
Studying abroad in Leipzig/Berlin

Favorite classes or professors: 
all the German professors that had enough strength to put up with me! Specifically: Megan and Seth for all the help they provided through out my German education
 

Majors: Political Science and International Studies
International Studies Focus Area: Peace Studies
Study Abroad Experience: Netherlands (2019)
Graduation Honors: Summa Cum Laude with Honors

Plans:
In the future, I plan to take a gap year to study for the LSAT, with eventual plans to attend law school. I hope to study civil rights and work in an organization that advocates for the inclusion of everyone; no matter their race, religion, nationality, sexual orientation, etc. 

Memorable Experiences:
Throughout my time at Mizzou, I've been fortunate enough to serve as the chapter president of Kappa Alpha Theta and as a supervisor at the Career Center. Both organizations/places have contributed greatly to my development as an academic, professional, and well-rounded individual. I'm thankful for the relationships I've made there and the guidance I've received from everyone. Although it is hard to choose just one, I think one of my most memorable experiences was traveling to Washington D.C. with the Kinder DC Scholars program. I was able to live, work, and intern in our nation's capitol while studying constitutional democracy and American history. 

Favorite Professors and Classes:
Again, a tough decision, but my favorite teacher was Dr. Doug Hurt of the Geography department. His humor and wit always add an exciting energy to the classroom. It was obvious that he cared for his students and their success. After taking a great class with Dr. Hurt at the beginning of my sophomore year, I decided to pursue a minor in Geography and take two more classes with Dr. Hurt, including one that added an independent study component. 

Favorite Advisor:
I also must absolutely shout out Kibby Smith for amazing work. Every time I came into her office, I had some dream or special request that I wanted to accomplish before graduation. She always encouraged me to pursue each option and assured me that we'd figure out some way to make it work in the four years I had at Mizzou. Thank you so much, Kibby!

International Studies Focus Area: International Business

Study Abroad Experience: Costa Rica (2017), Spain (2019)

Graduation Honors: Cum Laude

International Studies Focus Area: Latin American Studies

Study Abroad Experience: Chile (2018)

Plans:
This summer, I will be working with the Missouri Information Needs Project to gather and disseminate coronavirus-related information in underserved areas of the state. 

Experiences:
I studied abroad in Santiago, Chile, for a semester in 2018. I was one of two MU students in the program, and we made friends with so many people from all over the world. When I entered college, I knew only very basic Spanish and I had the goal of becoming fluent by graduation. I am happy to say I’ve reached that goal, and am so thankful for my study abroad experience and my incredible Spanish professors. 

Favorite Professors and Classes:
I am especially indebted to Pablo Serna, who helped me prepare for my immersion experience, and to Iván Reyna, who has mentored me over the past year in both research and language skills.

International Studies Focus Area: International Business
Study Abroad Experience: Spain (2017)
Graduation Honors: Cum Laude

Plans:
I am hoping to serve in the Peace Corps then pursue a career in sustainable tourism

Meaningful Experiences:
I loved studying abroad after my sophomore year then being a Student Manager and being a part of other students’ study abroad experiences! My favorite experience on my study abroad trip was celebrating the Summer Solstice in Alicante, Spain.

Favorite Professors or Classes:
My favorite class was Geography 3800: Geography of Travel and Tourism with Professor Hurt

International Studies Focus Area: International Business
Study Abroad Experience: Italy (2018)

Plans:
After graduation, I will be moving up to Chicago to work for an investment management company.

Memorable and Meaningful Experiences:
Studying abroad in Italy was amazing. One highlight from the trip was getting to visit the Sagrada Familia, which I've learned about in my Spanish classes for years.

Favorite Professors or Classes:
One of my favorite professors in the College of Arts & Sciences was Alicia Avilés-Quiñones. She always made class enjoyable and really helped me to learn more about current events happening in Spanish-speaking countries.
 

(pictured here in Kazakhstan)

Majors: International Studies, Russian, Anthropology
International Studies Focus Area: Peace Studies
Study Abroad experiences: 
Bosnia and Herzegovina (2018) 
Kazakhstan (2018-19) 
Netherlands (2019) 
Moldova (2019)

Graduation Honors: Summa Cum Laude, Honors College, Anthropology Honors, Russian Honors

Honors/awards: 
Boren scholarship to KZ, recent awardee of a Fulbright scholarship to teach English in Belarus, Career Development Scholar, Phi Beta Kappa, Honors College, Deans List (all semesters), Mark Twain Scholarship

Plans:
To be abroad (once a vaccine for COVID-19 has been distributed) for the long haul!

Memorable and Meaningful Experiences:
At first, adjusting to living abroad was fairly tough for me. I lived in Almaty, KZ for nine months – a Russian-speaking hub. English is not spoken and I was not that proficient in Russian when I arrived. To fully adjust and overcome my anxiety, I put myself out there to both learn the langauge and engage with the community. I took up boxing! I found a Russian-speaking trainer, and quickly found if I did not understand the instruction, my body would feel it all over. This activity opened me up to myriad avenues of immersion. 

Favorite Classes or Professors:
Impossible to pick one class, one professor, or one study abroad experience as the best. However, I can say with confidence I would not have pursued any of the opportunities I did or become the person I am without Dr. Nicole Monnier, Dr. J.D. Bowers, and Dr. Karthik Panchanathan. Dr. Monnier inspired me to pursue Russian studies to the maximum extent possible – leading me to a Boren scholarship that landed me in Kazakhstan. I first had Dr. Bowers as a professor enrolled in his Genocide course. Subsequently, I studied with him in Bosnia and Herzegovina learning about the Bosnian War and Srebrenica genocide, and in the Netherlands studying international justice. Dr. Panchanathan has been instrumental in shaping my current interest in identity dynamics in the post-Soviet space, for which I defended my anthropology thesis with him as my mentor.

Major: International Business with Marketing and Spanish emphasis

Study Abroad Experience:  
Prague, Czech Republic (2018)
Internship with the University of Missouri International Trade Center in Prague, Czech Republic (summer 2018)

Certificates:
Multicultural certificate, a certificate in sales and customer development, a certificate in digital global studies

Plans:
Position with Altria as a territory sales manager in Cleveland, OH

Favorite Class: Cultural Anthropology
Favorite Professor: Monika Fischer

Memorable Experiences at Mizzou: 
Studying abroad and working in Prague and traveling throughout Europe
Being a member of the Delta Sigma Pi professional business fraternity (Alpha Beta chapter)

Majors: International Studies, English, Russian, and minor in Linguistics
International Studies Focus Area: Peace Studies
Study Abroad Experience: Kenya (2017), Uganda (Mbale, 2018), Uganda (Jinja, 2019)
Graduation Honors: Summa Cum Laude

Awards and honors:
MU Award for Academic Distinction (Junior recipient, 2019), Mizzou '39, Phi Beta Kappa, Cherng Summer Scholars (2018), English departmental honors, Russian departmental honors, Multicultural Certificate, Digital Global Studies Certificate

Plans:
I am planning to go to Kyrgyzstan in the fall to participate in a Russian language intensive program, and then in the spring I am hoping to find a job. After my gap year, I am planning on attending law school for international/human rights law with the "big dream" goal of working for UNHCR or UN Women.

Memorable and Meaningful Experiences:
My most meaningful experience through Mizzou were my two trips to Uganda where I collected novel linguistic data. I went by myself and basically got to lead the fieldwork trip which was an incredibly empowering (and also stressful!) experience. I collected nine languages total, six of which did not have any prior wordlist documentation. Meeting and interviewing my speakers was such an invaluable experience for so many reasons, and also quite fun.

Favorite Classes or Professors:
It is difficult to choose just one favorite class or professor, but some professors who have been incredible impacts on my life are Dr. Alex Socarides, Dr. Nicole Monnier, Dr. Michael Marlo, Dr. Ray Ronci, and Dr. JD Bowers. These five people have been there for me in so many ways, and I credit so much of the personal and academic development that I have had throughout my four years to them.

International Studies Focus Area: East Asian Studies
Study Abroad Experience: Japan (2018)

Memorable Experiences:
My favorite memory in Japan: petting capybaras (the world's biggest rodent) and getting a certificate for becoming their friend!

CLARE ROTH

International Studies Focus Area: European Studies
Study Abroad Experience: Belgium (2019), Azerbaijan (2018)

Awards & Honors:
Critical Language Scholarship, Turkish (2018)

Plans:
I have a remote internship at Bloomberg News this summer, and I will move to Berlin in January 2021 to complete a Fulbright research/journalism project

Favorite Classes and Professors:
I am so thankful to my wonderful professors in the German department, the Fellowships Office and the journalism school.
 

Focus Area: International Business
Study Abroad Experience: Spain (2019)

Plans: 
I hope to work as an analyst for a marketing research firm!

Memorable Experience: 
Studying abroad in Alicante, Spain my junior year! It was an amazing experience and I learned so much about myself and the world we live in. 

Favorite Classes and Professors: 
Consumer behavior with Courtney Cothren

ARDELLA THOMAS

International Studies Focus Area: East Asian Studies
Study Abroad Experience: South Korea (2018)

Plans:
Go to grad school in South Korea, get my masters in International Business and pursue a career in that field.

Memorable Experiences:
Studying abroad in South Korea was the highlight of my time at Mizzou. I got to make lifelong friends from all over the world.

International Studies Focus Area: Environmental Studies
Study Abroad Experience: France (2020)
Graduation Honors: Cum Laude
Awards and honors:

Plans:
This academic year I have been dual enrolled in the Master of Public Affairs program emphasis is public policy. Next year, I will be finishing that up and I’ve accepted a graduate research assistantship.

Study Abroad Experience: 
I really enjoyed studying abroad in Paris, France in the beginning of this Spring semester with IES abroad. I met amazing people and took very interesting courses pertaining to subject areas I’m passionate about such as sustainability and development strategies. While abroad, another highlight was that I was a virtual public affairs intern for the United States State Department’s U.S. Mission to International Organizations. I learned so much in the time I had. Of course, exploring the city was amazing! Étudier à Paris était un rêve.

Memorable and Meaningful Experiences:
Through international studies curriculum, I’ve gotten to study French and Mandarin. I hope to continue learning these languages after graduation.

Favorite Advisor: 
I’ve loved working with Kibby Smith! She was always in my corner and believed in my goals and dreams. She helped make my college experience everything I wanted and more. Thank you so much Kibby!!

Majors:  
International Studies
BS in Business Administration with an emphasis in Marketing
Minor in German

Study Abroad Experience: Barcelona, Spain; Berlin, Germany (2018)

Plans:
Accepted a role as a Sales Management Associate with PepsiCo’s Frito Lay division

Memorable and Meaningful Experiences:
Raising $100,000 as a Director for Rockin’ Against Multiple Sclerosis and receiving the award for the best recruitment process in the country as Recruitment Chair of Delta Tau Delta fraternity.

Favorite Classes or Professors:
My two favorite professors at Mizzou are Scott Christianson and Brady Hodges

Majors: International Studies, Anthropology
International Studies Focus Area: Peace Studies
Study Abroad Experience: Czech Republic (2019)
Graduation Honors: Cum Laude