Scholarship Committee
Ted Tarkow, Scholarship Committee Chair. Some nice news as MURA celebrates another good year! There will be eight Kitty Dickerson scholars next year, each receiving an $1,800 stipend. The increase from six scholarships of $1,500 was approved by the Board and reflects President Choi’s continued support, the success of our holiday social raffle, and the good work of volunteers at the Mizzou Store. Better still, the fund received an amazing $8,000 in donations this quarter. Most importantly, here are the faces and stories of our Dickerson scholars:
Anna Babic plans to graduate in spring 2027, and she has been accepted into the accelerated program for a master’s in health administration. She hopes to pursue a career in healthcare leadership and to make a positive impact in her community.
Melinda Fauss is currently in the clinical program of the Sinclair School of Nursing. As a Discovery Fellow through the Honors College, she is working with Alisha Johnson to study the lived experiences of older adults with fall monitoring technologies. This work produced a published paper on which Melinda is a co-author. After graduation, she hopes to work at the University Hospital.
Mary Kidneya is a sophomore from Columbia, Missouri, studying middle school social studies education. She is heavily involved on campus as a tour guide, on the Homecoming Steering Committee, and in the College of Education and Human Development’s Dorsey Leadership Academy. As a first-generation college student, she plans to earn a doctorate and become a school superintendent, where she can create meaningful and equitable opportunities for students.
Elizabeth Odette grew up in Columbia, so Mizzou has always been a big part of her life, and she feels privileged to call it home. Aside from studying sociology, she plays tennis, works in the District, and tries to get outside as much as possible. After graduation, she plans to study family law.
Isabella Peterson’s goal is to become a NICU nurse. She loves to sing and is a member of the praise team at her church. Other than singing, she was on the cheer team in high school and plans to help coach an elementary school cheer team this year. Isabella was born with cleft lip, a major factor that led her to pursue nursing. She hopes to be a resource for patients with cleft lipsand their families.
Elena Spencer’s goals are to become a registered dietitian nutritionist and to work with children in pediatric units. She would also like to travel to all 50 states. In her free time, she enjoys hiking and being outdoors, doing crafts, and reading.
Joseph Winterbower, a sophomore studying digital storytelling with two minors (film studies and music) hopes to get into filmmaking. Joseph volunteers with the Forum Christian Church’s video team along with various photography gigs. He plays euphonium in the tuba/euphonium studio. Both of his parents and brother went to Mizzou, where both parents worked. The Dickerson scholarship has abated a lot of stress: “Knowing that I have just that much less I have to pay for a good, sturdy education makes all the difference in my life.”
Tierney Young moved to Columbia with her mom and brothers in 2019. Since then, she has worked to achieve her academic goals. She attended middle school in Columbia through Covid and graduated from Rock Bridge High School with high honors. She is proud to attend Mizzou, where her mom works hard to provide for the family. Tierney is studying nutrition and exercise physiology with a goal to work in sports nutrition.
