Territory: Kansas City and surrounding areas
Hometown: Blue Springs, Mo.
Degree and graduation year: journalism ’04, emphasis area: advertising

Why did you come to Mizzou?
I knew I was going to stay in state — close to home, but not too close. My dad’s a big Mizzou basketball fan, so I had grown up a Tiger fan. I was also undecided as to what I wanted to study. Since Mizzou is the biggest and best school in the state, I knew I’d have lots of choices in programs and plenty of resources to draw on when I made up my mind. All things considered, it just seemed like the right fit.

When I attended Mizzou, my favorite class was / I was involved in:
I loved the creative part of my advertising classes. Throughout my coursework I had several opportunities to work on group campaigns with other students. The best part was coming up with ideas and seeing the project through to the end. I was also pretty involved in the music department on campus. I still play the flute. As a student, I was the piccolo section leader in Marching Mizzou and played in the Symphonic Wind Ensemble.

What question are you asked most often?
“How do I get into Mizzou?”

“What degree programs do you offer?”

What question do you wish students would ask?
I wish students would ask why Mizzou is Missouri 's great state university and also how they can make the MU experience their own.

What was the strangest experience or question you had as an admissions representative?
One of the best parts of going to high schools is visiting during homecoming when all sorts of fun events are going on. Usually students are dressed up for some sort of spirit day. I'm used to seeing students on “80's Day” or “Crazy Hair Day.” So, I wasn't shocked when I arrived to a school on “Wear your PJs Day” but I was sorry that I was going to miss the next day — “Flotation Device Day!”

What compelled you to stay and work at Mizzou after graduation?
After graduation I decided to stay in Columbia and started to look for my first adventure out into the “real world.” I heard about this position and I remembered getting excited about going to college when university representatives came to my high school. I love the idea of helping students learn about the options and great opportunities they have in front of them.