Edilberto Corte Real de Oliveira hails from Timor-Leste, a small, half-island nation located at the crossroads of Southeast Asia and the Pacific. A rising senior, he is pursuing dual-degree programs in Political Science and Sociology, with a minor in Criminology. Edilberto is an active member of the Mizzou community, holding leadership positions in various organizations such as the Beta Chi Omicron Honor Society and Missouri International Student Council. Outside of his academic commitments, Edilberto loves to travel and immerse himself in new cultures, broadening his perspective and understanding of the world. He is deeply passionate about international development and hopes to leverage his education and experiences to uplift individuals residing in post-conflict countries.

Cole Bower is a rising junior from Kansas City, MO, triple-majoring in Constitutional Democracy, Political Science, and Economics. He was a member of the Kinder Institute’s Residential College and Society of Fellows and is the treasurer of Mizzou College Democrats. He currently works as finance director for a competitive State Senate race in Boone County, and previously managed a successful State House campaign in south Columbia. In his free time, Cole enjoys cheering on Mizzou basketball and playing Frederic Chopin’s music on piano. Upon graduation he plans to pursue a full-time career in Democratic politics.

Jacqueline Glenn is a third-year honors student from Edwardsville, Illinois, pursuing a double-major in English and Constitutional Democracy, where her emphases are Black Literature and Law & Institutions, respectively. She loves all things pertaining to civil rights. Aside from the Society of Fellows and Kinder Scholars, Jacqueline is a member of Phi Mu sorority, a Student Ambassador for the College of Arts and Sciences, and serves as a Team Leader for Jumpstart Mizzou. After graduation, Jacqueline hopes to attend law school and eventually practice some sort of human rights law.

Isaac Yontz is a rising junior from Columbia, MO, studying government and politics through majors in Constitutional Democracy and Economics. On campus, he was a 2022-23 Kinder Institute Undergraduate Fellow and is the current tournament director of the Missouri Mock Trial Association. Off campus, Isaac enjoys hiking and learning French. Isaac will be a Jumpstart Corps member, primarily serving in Washington D.C.’s 7th and 8th wards, during Summer 2023.

Elisha Schoor is a transferred senior from Kearney, Missouri, studying Constitutional Democracy and Economics. In addition to being a Kinder Scholar, he participated in the Kinder Fellows program during AY 2022-23, authoring an essay that will be published in the Journal on Constitutional Democracy. Elisha is currently President of the Mizzou Undergraduate Society of History and an avid member of the Mizzou Model United Nations club. While unclear on the translation, he hopes to turn the skills learned as an undergraduate into a career serving the public. Outside of school, Elisha loves to play games with friends, listen to Star Wars books, and build virtual railroad lines.

A rising junior at Mizzou, Michael Rashford is majoring in Political Science and Constitutional Democracy. During his freshman year, he participated in the Kinder Institute Residential College and served as Vice President of the Wolpers Hall student government, and he was part of the Kinder Institute’s Society of Fellows program during his sophomore. In Summer 2022, Michael interned for the Missouri Solicitor General’s Office, working in special litigation. On campus, he plays on the club Ultimate Frisbee team, where he is acting Vice President, and in his free time, he enjoys running and considers himself an amateur barista. This summer in D.C. he will be interning with the House of Representatives Committee on Ways and Means.

Originally from Montgomery, Texas, Elise Milburn is a rising junior majoring in Constitutional Democracy and History, with minors in Political Science, Latin American Studies, and Spanish. Her studies focus on the geopolitical entanglements of westward expansion and colonization from the 1600s to the early 1800s. During her time as a Kinder Undergraduate Fellow, she analyzed the usage of New Orleans as a political bargaining chip that would ultimately open the West to the United States. Outside of the Kinder Institute, Elise is an active member of SALT company and Anthem church. Post-graduation, she hopes to receive her M.A. in Atlantic History & Politics before applying to Ph.D. programs on the East Coast.

Quinn Sheppard is a rising junior from Lee’s Summit, Missouri, majoring in Constitutional Democracy and History, with a minor in Political Science. During her time at Mizzou, Quinn has interned with The Home Project in Athens, Greece, and at the State Historical Society of Missouri. Within the Kinder Institute, she has been a part of the Society of Fellows and Residential College programs. She currently conducts research through the Honors College and is an Associate Justice for MSA. During the 2023-24 school year, Quinn will serve as Director of the Mizzou chapter of It’s On Us and be an inaugural exchange student at University College London. In her spare time, she enjoys reading and drinking coffee, and especially enjoys when she can do both at the same time.

Tommy Jackson is a third-year student majoring in Constitutional Democracy, History, and Economics, with minors in Political Science, Philosophy, and East Asian Studies. He is the founder and president of the Kinder Institute Undergraduate Society, a university-wide organization dedicated to connecting Kinder students to other Kinder students, to peers at Mizzou and other universities, and to the local Columbia community through the “Applied Constitutional Democracy” program. He is also the founder and chair of the Mid-Missouri Undergraduate Conference on Democracy Studies, the inaugural meeting of which will be held in February 2024 on the topic “Democracy And…” Tommy serves as a Resident Advisor-Peer Learning Assistant for the Kinder Institute Democracy Lab FIG, and is heavily involved in the Missouri Debate Union, Mizzou Model UN, and the Omicron Delta Epsilon international economics honors society. He has previously been involved in the Society of Fellows and Oxford study abroad programs, sits on the College of Arts & Science Student Council, and volunteers at the State Historical Society of Missouri.

Ben Henschel is a rising senior from Fairway, KS, majoring in Journalism and Constitutional Democracy, with minors in Economics, Political Science, and History. Ben is currently President of the Mizzou Alumni Association Student Board and sits on the MAA Board of Directors. He is also Senior Editor at Midwestern Citizen, an undergraduate law and policy journal based in Ann Arbor, and enjoys reading and writing about law and music in his free time. Ben has worked for a variety of organizations, including as a legal intern for the Missouri State Public Defender’s Office, a marketing intern for Starting Points Journal, an account manager for Matchbook Marketing, and a student ambassador for the Kinder Institute. Ben spends a lot of his free time exploring new record stores and bookshops, along with talking basketball with friends.