The University of Missouri-Kansas City Honors College recognized the graduating class of 2016 at the annual Honors College Banquet on April 13.
The Honors College acknowledged twenty-two seniors graduating with University Honors, seven of which were awarded the highest distinction UMKC offers as Honors Scholars. Each graduating senior received a Recognition of Achievement and an Honors College medallion. Those graduating as Honors Scholars also received a blue cord to be worn at commencement.
Graduates at a Glance
Ida Ayalew
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Ida will be graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in Philosophy, a minor in Black Studies, and University Honors.
Amanda Cook
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Amanda will be graduating with a Bachelor’s of Science in Accounting and University Honors, after which she will be completing an internship at PricewaterhouseCooper’s New York City Assurance Practice. Following her internship, Amanda plans to join the Master’s in Management Programme at the London Business School in London, England. Her goal is to work in public accounting or management counseling.
Chloe David
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Chloe will be graduating with a Bachelor’s of Music Education with an emphasis in Vocal Music and a minor in French. Chloe will also be graduating with University Honors. Chloe looks forward to singing, dancing, and playing instruments with elementary school students as their music teacher, and traveling extensively during her summers.
Terrance Hughes
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Terrance will be graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in Marketing and University Honors. Terrance plans to backpack across Asia this summer and begin working as an Advertising Operations Specialist at social media marketing agency AdParlor in the fall.
Derick Letman
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Derick will be graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in Liberal Arts, a minor in Communications, and University Honors. Derick plans to attend law school at the University of Missouri-Kansas City following his graduation from UMKC’s School of Social Work MSW program. Derick aspires to work as a mental health counselor.
Jordan Miles
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Jordan will be graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, a minor in Biology, and University Honors. Following graduation, Jordan will be attending the prestigious Doctorate of Physical Therapy Program at Washington State University in St. Louis, Missouri, after which she plans to pursue a career in physical therapy.
Sarah Park
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Sarah will be graduating as an Honors Scholar with a Bachelor’s of Science in Biology, a minor in both Healing & Humanities and Chemistry, and University Honors. Sarah plans to work at Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, MO for a year prior to attending medical school. Sarah completed a Senior Honors Thesis entitled, “Muscle-Tendon Crosstalk: Evidence by Protective Effect Against Oxidative Stress” with advisor Dr. Eduardo Abreu in the Department of Biology.
Molly Penrod
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Molly Penrod
Molly will be graduating as an Honors Scholar with a Bachelor’s degree in both Philosophy and Psychology and University Honors. Molly completed a Senior Honors Thesis entitled, “The Effects of Calorie Information on Food Choice” with advisor Dr. Seung-Lark Lim in the Department of Psychology.
Stevi Short
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Stevi will be graduating with a Bachelor’s of Science in Biology, a minor in both Chemistry and Anthropology, and University Honors. Stevi will be attending the University of Missouri-Saint Louis’s College of Optometry in the fall to pursue a career as an optometrist.
Stephen Tran
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Stephen will be graduating as an Honors Scholar with a Bachelor’s of Science in Biology, a minor in both Chemistry and Psychology, and University Honors. Stephen plans to use his degree to pursue a career in physical therapy. Stephen completed a Senior Honors Thesis entitled, “Voltage-Gated Calcium Channels and Tenocyte Response to Oxidative Stress” with advisor Dr. Eduardo Abreu in the Department of Biology.
Joseph Young
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Joseph Young
Joseph will be graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in History, a minor in Political Science, and University Honors.
Kelly Bisges
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Kelly will be graduating with a Bachelor's degree in Health Sciences, a minor in Healing & Humanities, and University Honors.
Haley Crane
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Haley will be graduating with a Bachelor's degree in both Music Therapy and Psychology and University Honors. Following graduation, Haley will be completing an internship in West Virginia, after which she hopes to complete her board certification and work with children and adolescents with developmental disabilities.
Hannah Goebel
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Hannah Goebel
Hannah will be graduating with a Bachelor's of Science in Nursing and University Honors.
Sydney Harvey
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Sydney will be graduating as an Honors Scholar with a Bachelor's degree in both Communication Studies and Philosophy, a minor in Classical & Ancient Studies, and University Honors. Sydney completed a Senior Honors Thesis entitled "Being and Humor" with advisor Dr. Clancy Martin in the Department of Philosophy.
Hannah Huhman
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Hannah will be graduating as an Honors Scholar with a Bachelor's of Science in Geology Physics and University Honors. Following graduation, Hannah plans to move to Alaska. Hannah completed a Senior Honors Thesis entitled, "What Does Ground Water Sound Like?" with advisor Dr. Jejung Lee in the Department of Geophysics.
Abigail Menke
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Abigail Menke
Abigail will be graduating as an Honors Scholar with a Bachelor's of Science in Biology, a minor in Chemistry, and University Honors. Abigail completed a Senior Honors Thesis entitled, "Reproducibility in High-Throughput Mutagenesis and Gene Expression Analysis" with advisor Dr. Saul Honigberg in the Department of Biology.
Safa Nawazish
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Safa Nawazish
Safa will be graduating with a Bachelor's of Science in Biology, a minor in Chemistry, and University Honors.
Cole Payne
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Cole will be graduating with a Bachelor's of Science in Geology, a minor in GIS (Graphic Information Systems), and University Honors. Post-graduation, Cole plans to hike 220 miles on the John Muir Trail in California, after which he will be moving to Alaska to attend graduate school at the University of Alaska: Fairbanks.
Ashlynd Ritzinger
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Ashlynd will be graduating with a Bachelor's of Science in Biology, a minor in Chemistry, and University Honors. Following graduation, Ashlynd plans to attend graduate school for medical research. Ashlynd hopes to pursue a career in medical research and travel to Rome in her free time.
Clara Stahl
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Clara will be graduating as an Honor Scholar with a Bachelor's in Business Administration with an emphasis in Finance & Entrepreneurship. Clara will be starting as an accelerated associate at the State Street Corporation this summer. She plans to begin studying for her Master's in Business Administration through UMKC's Bloch School by the spring of 2017. Clara completed a Senior Honors Thesis entitled, "Innovation Management: A Shifting Paradigm to Innovation Management Styles, Culture, and Strategies" with Dr. Bob Waris in the Bloch School.
Layney Viets
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Layney will be graduating with a Bachelor's degree in both Secondary English Education and English. She hopes to find a position teaching high school English in the local urban school district and pursue her Master's degree in Education. Layney's essay, "The Language of Liberty: Milton's Nationalistic Linguistics" was published in volume ten of Lucerna, UMKC's undergraduate research journal.