Contact: Sara Diedrich, diedrichs@missouri.edu
Photos courtesy of Pat Phelan
Sept. 9, 2025
There was never any doubt about where Jamie Phelan would go to college. Black and gold are woven into her DNA, tracing back to her paternal grandfather, who ran track when the legendary Don Faurot was athletic director. Her parents graduated from the University of Missouri, and so did her sister.
For the Phelan family, Mizzou isn’t just a school — it’s a tradition.
“I’ve been coming to campus since I was a little girl,” Phelan, a senior majoring in business with a minor in journalism and a certificate in digital marketing, said. “This place has always felt like home to me.”
This weekend, the Phelan family will join hundreds of others celebrating Family Weekend at Mizzou. The weekend includes special programming across campus, including family photos with Truman, tours and an evening of fun and games on Carnahan Quadrangle. On Saturday, the Missouri Tigers will take on the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns at Memorial Stadium.
Pat, BSBA ’94, and Mitzi (Meyer) Phelan, BS HES ’96, who live in Liberty, Missouri, became Tiger football season ticketholders when their oldest daughter, Jenna, BS Acc, M Acc ’24, decided to attend Mizzou. Since then, every home game has become a family affair, complete with walks on campus and pregame tailgates.
“My parents’ involvement in our lives here makes every moment even more meaningful,” Jamie Phelan said. “There’s a unique bond that comes from sharing the same Mizzou traditions across generations.”
Once a Tiger, always a Tiger
For Jamie Phelan, life as a Tiger began long before she enrolled, with regular trips to campus for football and basketball games and visits to her parents’ favorite Columbia haunts: Shakespeare’s Pizza, The Heidelberg and G&D Pizzaria. As little girls, she and her sister even wore matching Mizzou cheerleader outfits.
“One of my favorite traditions was heading to Shakespeare’s after the games,” she said. “My sister and I would watch eagerly for the dough toss. It was always the highlight of our day.”
Once a student at Mizzou, Jamie Phelan followed in her father’s and sister’s footsteps to the Robert J. Trulaske, Sr. College of Business, where she is studying marketing with plans for a career in sales. Like her sister, she pledged the Kappa Alpha Theta sorority and is a member of the Cornell Leadership Program (CLP) and Alpha Kappa Psi, a professional coed business fraternity.
The sisters also embraced leadership opportunities at every turn and took advantage of the Trulaske study abroad program, with Jenna Phelan travelling to Spain and Jamie Phelan to Italy. Through CLP, Jamie Phelan took part in Tigers on Wall Street in New York and later joined a trip to Dallas.
Thanks to the nationwide corporate connections of Mary Beth Marrs, director of CLP, Jamie Phelan landed an internship this past summer with Frito-Lay in Tyler, Texas — an experience that led to a full-time job offer upon her graduation in May 2026. Much to their parents’ delight, Jenna Phelan had a similar path; having completed her CPA exams, she will begin a full-time position next month with KPMG in Kansas City.
“I truly cherish my time at Mizzou and how it has prepared me for the career ahead,” Jenna Phelan said. “The experiences I had outside the classroom strengthened my leadership and interpersonal skills, and I credit both Mizzou and the organizations I was involved in for that growth.”
Jenna and Jamie Phelan at Tiger football game.
Mizzou + family = tradition
Pat Phelan, an entrepreneur and founder of Leap Companies in Kansas City, couldn’t be more grateful to Mizzou, the place where he met his wife and made many lifelong friends.
His daughters’ experiences are the icing on the cake.
“I probably owe Mizzou more than I can put into words,” he said. “It’s one of those serendipitous stories — a kid from Illinois comes to campus, meets a girl from Blue Springs and, years later, we have two daughters here as well. I never could have imagined it unfolding that way. Even my path to Kansas City traces back to Mizzou. Looking back, so many doors opened because of this place.”
Mitzi Phelan — who earned a degree in textile and apparel management and is now CFO of Meyer Music, a family-owned business in Kansas City — always hoped her daughters would pick Mizzou but never pressured them.
“Growing up attending games, our girls fell in love with Mizzou just as we had,” she said. “They’ve truly thrived there, and we couldn’t be prouder of both of them. It’s a pretty special experience to share as a family.”
The Phelans are especially proud of their daughters’ academic success and the doors it has opened for them.
“The fact that our daughters have such great jobs is a true testament to the university,” Pat Phelan said. “At Mizzou, the opportunities are there, and for students willing to work hard, the university helps make them happen.”
For the sisters, sharing their Mizzou experience has not only strengthened their bond but also enriched their family.
“This is my first year at Mizzou without Jenna,” Jamie Phelan said. “Having her close by was such a gift. She’s always been someone I admire — driven, kind and the kind of person you want in your corner. She’s been both a mentor and a best friend. Her presence made my college experience truly special.”
Fortunately for her, Family Weekend — and their beloved Saturday home games — keep the Phelans coming back to campus to make new memories and celebrate the traditions that bind them together.
