May 9, 2022
Contact: Deidra Ashley, ashleyde@missouri.edu
If there’s anyone who knows how to get involved at the University of Missouri, it’s Zairia Moore. In her four years at Mizzou, the senior psychology major has been a Summer Bridge Program ambassador, CASE Scholar, student coordinator at the Center for Academic Success, legal assistant at the MU Veterans Clinic, peer mentor and teaching assistant with the Mizzou Black Women’s Initiative, member of the Legion of Black Collegians, President of the Mizzou Black Pre-Law Student Association and a United Ambassador — just to name a few. In 2021, she was even tapped into QEBH, Mizzou’s oldest honors society.
“Being involved in all of those organizations really impacted my college experience,” Moore said. “I found a community — a home and a family who made me feel like I belonged. The people I met through all of these groups are the ones who kept me motivated and helped me succeed at Mizzou.”
Another Tiger in the family
Moore grew up in St. Louis, Missouri in a family of 18 children. “There are a lot of us, and we are a very close-knit family,” she said. After hearing about her sibling’s and cousin’s experience attending Mizzou, Moore made the commitment to become a Tiger herself.
“My sister and cousin went to Mizzou and loved it,” Moore said. “My cousin majored in psychology, like me, and I was able to get a lot of MU-specific information and advice from her … she was like a bonus advisor.”
Although Moore wouldn’t have her parents and 17 siblings on campus, she found other ways to make connections both in and out of the classroom.
“You can’t get through life without a village behind you,” she said. “I found my village at Mizzou. My professors and mentors didn’t just talk to me about my goals. They helped me figure out why those things are my goals and what I needed to do to reach them. I never felt alone — I always had someone holding me accountable to myself.”
Helping others succeed
Inspired by the help her mentors gave her, one of Moore’s final goals at Mizzou was to earn an English as a second language teaching fellowship that would allow her to teach abroad. With a little guidance from her mentors — and help from the MU Fellowships Office — Moore earned the scholarship and will begin teaching in Spain for a year starting this fall.
When she’s back in the states, Moore said she hopes to return to Mizzou for law school.
“The last four years have been challenging, but I have so many people on campus to thank for helping me succeed,” Moore said. “From my professors to my tutors, mentors, custodial workers and more … You have touched my life in so many ways, and I can’t thank you enough. I hope my journey at Mizzou isn’t over yet.”
