University of Missouri

July 2, 2015

Summer at Mizzou means Summer Welcome — a campus thrumming with possibility and buzzing with incoming students who make up the class of 2019. Welcome to campus, new Tigers, and welcome to the Mizzou family. We'll see you at Tiger Walk.

Here for Summer Welcome? Tell us how it’s going! #mizzou19

 

As a psychology and pre-law major, Taylor Henderson has to get used to asking tough questions. But after spending two days at Summer Welcome, the St. Louis native is feeling more comfortable doing that. “There are a lot of opportunities to learn and ask questions,” Henderson says. “That’s something I’m learning: The best thing to do if you’re unsure is to just ask.” #Mizzou19 — Words by Kelsey Allen. Photo by Nicholas Benner.

A photo posted by Mizzou (@mizzou) on Jun 26, 2015 at 9:45am PDT

 

Tanner Heeren is following in his big brother Connor’s footsteps. Connor is a junior business major at Mizzou, and Tanner is going to be a freshman business major at Mizzou this fall. (The Springfield, Missouri, natives have a younger sister, too, whom they’re trying to recruit.) When Tanner first visited Mizzou, it seemed huge. But after hearing a professor’s perspective at Summer Welcome, he’s not worried anymore. “The professors seem like they care about the students,” Tanner says. “They really seem involved with the students.” #Mizzou19 — Words by Kelsey Allen. Photo by Nicholas Benner. A photo posted by Mizzou (@mizzou) on Jun 26, 2015 at 5:32am PDT

 

A native of Marshall, Missouri, Drew Hemeyer has always been a die-hard Tigers fan. When she decided she wanted to study journalism in college, she didn’t look anywhere other than Mizzou. // Compared to her hometown, MU seemed a little overwhelming. But after spending two days on campus for Summer Welcome, she feels a lot more comfortable. “Since I’ve been here, it’s become a little smaller, more like home,” Hemeyer says. “There are a lot of resources I didn’t know about. Like at the Counseling Center; they can help you through homesickness. They bridge the gap from child to adult more than I expected. They treat it more as a transition. I like that. I feel a little bit less on my own than I thought I would.” #Mizzou19 — Words by Kelsey Allen. Photo by Nicholas Benner.

A photo posted by Mizzou (@mizzou) on Jun 25, 2015 at 3:02pm PDT

 

Mizzou was the only school Sam Kim applied to. It’s close to home, but not too close, and he really likes the accounting program. When he came to campus for a tour, he knew he’d made the right choice. “We went to all the touristy spots, like Jesse Hall,” Kim says. Summer Welcome confirmed it even more. “I’m especially excited for MizzouRec. It’s probably going to be my first home, and my dorm is probably going to be my second home.” #Mizzou19 — Words by Kelsey Allen. Photo by Nicholas Benner. A photo posted by Mizzou (@mizzou) on Jun 26, 2015 at 1:36pm PDT

 

Lydia Armour is leaning toward a business major, but she brings a cheerleader’s sensibility to her view of Mizzou. “The campus is beautiful and big, and I was walking around, and everyone was wearing a Mizzou shirt,” she says. “I love that I can feel proud to wear my school colors.” She doesn’t plan to continue the cheerleading she did in high school, but she is looking forward to “all the new friends I’ll have and feeling good about my classes and grades.” #Mizzou19 — Words by Erik Potter. Photo by Tanzi Propst.

A photo posted by Mizzou (@mizzou) on Jun 29, 2015 at 7:52am PDT

 

When Parker Binning first traveled from St. Charles, Illinois, to Columbia to tour MU’s campus, it was raining. But that didn’t dampen his enthusiasm. (Have you seen MizzouRec?) After spending two sunny days at Mizzou during Summer Welcome, he has an even better sense of the campus and the community. “It’s really impressive,” says the incoming business major. “It’s a lot better than I thought it would be. I’m really into the red brick. And it seems like they are focused on renovating our accommodations. I’m just excited to start. I’m ready to move in and meet new people.” #Mizzou19 — Words by Kelsey Allen. Photo by Nicholas Benner. A photo posted by Mizzou (@mizzou) on Jun 26, 2015 at 5:44pm PDT

 

Mizzou’s new exotic-animals minor brought Leif Weger to Columbia from Atlanta. But he’s just getting started. “I want to travel the world and work with exotic animals,” he says. He’s not sure how or in what way, but he’s looking forward to finding out. He brings a similar sensibility to his outlook on college. After surveying a roomful of extracurricular activities during Summer Welcome, he’s not quite ready to commit to any of them yet. Except maybe Humans vs. Zombies. #Mizzou19 — Words by Erik Potter. Photo by Tanzi Propst.

A photo posted by Mizzou (@mizzou) on Jun 29, 2015 at 10:58am PDT

 

Ben Ying has liked Mizzou since his cousin came here a few years ago. When his older brother enrolled at KU, that sort of sealed things. He’s excited about joining the Asian-American Association, but, during Summer Welcome, only his second visit to campus, the university is mostly an unexplored land of opportunity. He’s eager to make a home here, even if he doesn’t know exactly what he'll do. “I’m still trying to find that out.” #Mizzou19 — Words by Erik Potter. Photo by Tanzi Propst. A photo posted by Mizzou (@mizzou) on Jun 30, 2015 at 5:43am PDT

 

Yes, Mizzou has a great business school. Yes, it also has a good law school. But even more than those qualities, Amit Bhagat, the business major and future JD, likes that Mizzou is “close, but far enough” in proximity to his family in St. Charles, Missouri. // His mom, his Summer Welcome companion, gives him the stink eye. // He backpedals, listing MizzouRec, Greek life, Tiger Lair and a healthy intramural program (he plays baseball) as selling points. // What he’s most excited about, though, are the “new experiences I couldn’t get anywhere else.” #Mizzou19 — Words by Erik Potter. Photo by Tanzi Propst.

A photo posted by Mizzou (@mizzou) on Jun 30, 2015 at 2:34pm PDT

 

Erica Bedu-Annan made a January trip from her hometown of Aurora, Colorado, to Mizzou, when campus was a winter wonderland. After choosing MU for its classic campus and top-notch College of Veterinary Medicine (over respected programs at Colorado State University and the University of California, Davis), she returned to Columbia for a much warmer Summer Welcome visit. // “My favorite part of Summer Welcome has been the group sessions and getting to know everybody,” Bedu-Annan says. “I’m excited to pick classes, because that’s my thing — before school starts, I always make sure my schedule is just right, just the way I like it.” #Mizzou19 — Words by Marcus Wilkins. Photo by Rob Hill.

A photo posted by Mizzou (@mizzou) on Jul 1, 2015 at 5:24pm PDT

 

The Boehne family, from Springfield, Missouri, are Tigers through and through. Father Greg, BS Ed ’91, and mother Tara, BHS ’91, raised son Will to carefully consider his options before making a decision — but there was little doubt he would pick black and gold. “I had three choices — Missouri State, Arkansas and Mizzou — but Mizzou was always at the top,” Will says. “It’s an open and warm environment with lots of kind people.” // As students, Greg and Tara spent time at traditional late-’80s Columbia hangouts including Harpo’s and The Shack. But some of their haunts were less traditional. “If it got late enough, I remember studying at the medical library,” Greg says. “That was harder to get into than some bars if you weren’t a health science or medical student.” “I had to sneak him in!” Tara says. “Just one of the nerdy things we did. Will is rolling his eyes like, ‘Oh my gosh — they enjoyed the library together.’ ” // Will plans to major in banking and finance at the Trulaske College of Business. He looks forward to getting settled at his new home in Mark Twain Hall, which once had a modest swimming pool before it was remodeled in 2013. “Too bad you have to come to the (MU Student Rec Complex) to swim,” says a sarcastic Greg gesturing toward Mizzou’s magnificent facility that includes four pools. “Brewer Fieldhouse had basketball courts, and I think maybe I had a racquetball class. It was nothing like today.” #Mizzou19 — Words by Marcus Wilkins. Photo by Rob Hill. A photo posted by Mizzou (@mizzou) on Jul 1, 2015 at 10:47am PDT