Directory

Mason Andrews is a third-year student from St. Louis, Missouri, who is majoring in Economics and History with a minor in Creative Writing. A former Discovery Fellow, Mason serves as the Treasurer of the Mizzou Undergraduate Society of History and is currently working on his honors thesis which seeks to understand the cultural significance of social banditry during the so-called Golden Age of Hijacking. After he graduates, Mason intends to pursue a graduate degree in history. In addition to his studies, Mason spends his time reading horror comics and listening to the ramblings of painter and jazz musician John Lurie.

Gwen Blevins is a sophomore from Kansas City, MO, majoring in Constitutional Democracy and International Studies, with minors in Spanish and Political Science. Gwen is involved on campus with the Missouri Debate Union, as the Director of Programming, Mizzou Model United Nations, as Parliamentarian, and the Kinder Undergraduate Society. She also works as a Campaign Fellow at the Missouri State Democratic Caucus, where she assists in fundraising events and campaign financing. In her free time, Gwen enjoys crocheting, playing video games with friends, and reading comics. Gwen is passionate about international affairs and Indigenous rights, and she hopes to attend graduate school after finishing at Mizzou to pursue a career in the Department of State.

Mya Franklin is a sophomore from Saint Louis, Missouri, majoring in Constitutional Democracy and Political Science, with minors in History and Spanish. Her studies focus on constitutional law and founding documents. In addition to being a member of the 2023-24 Society of Fellows cohort, Mya did campaign work for Kip Kendrick last school year, and she currently works at the RSVP Center and is training to be a future Peer Educator. She is also involved in the service sorority, Little Sisters of the Gold Rose. In her free time, she enjoys listening to Taylor Swift, watching sit-coms, and eating good food.

Maggie Funston is a sophomore from Festus, Missouri, majoring in Political Science and Constitutional Democracy. On campus, Maggie is the president of Mizzou Model United Nations, a senator for the Missouri Students Association (MSA), and the director of MSA’s First Year Council. She is also a member of the Mizzou Mock Trial Association, Pi Sigma Alpha (Political Science Honor Society), and the MU Chancellor’s Standing Committees on Undergraduate Curriculum and Information Security Council Governance. As she moves through her studies, Maggie looks forward to attending law school, and cannot wait to continue learning about the world around her!

Malcolm Gerhardt is a sophomore from St. Louis, MO, majoring in Education with a focus on Secondary Social Studies. In addition to being a member of the Kinder Institute Society of Fellows, he serves as treasurer for the Mizzou Young Democratic Socialists of America. In his free time, Malcolm enjoys creating linocuts, watching Star Trek, and making semi-legible latte art.

Carly Gordon is a sophomore honors student from St. Charles, Missouri, pursuing a double major in Political Science and International Studies, with an emphasis in Latin American Studies, as well as minors in Spanish and Constitutional Democracy. On campus, Carly serves as Vice President of Model United Nations and participates in Pi Sigma Alpha (Mizzou’s Political Science Club). She hopes to utilize the skills she’s refining as an undergraduate in a career in foreign service. Outside of school, Carly enjoys listening to podcasts and traveling with friends.

Olivia Gyapong is a junior at the University of Missouri, double majoring in Journalism and Political Science and minoring in Constitutional Democracy. She is involved in MU’s National Association of Black Journalists student chapter, the Little Sisters of the Gold Rose service sorority, and undergraduate research. She is originally from Silver Spring, MD, and, if her dreams of obtaining a Fulbright do not pan out, plans to return to the DMV area to pursue a law degree and a career as a foreign policy reporter. When she is not writing for the Columbia Missourian, taking photos, participating in extracurriculars, or doing community service, Olivia loves to cook, bake, and play with her pet rabbit called Salt.

A junior at Mizzou, Luke Hruby is a double major in Political Science and Constitutional Democracy. He is involved in the Missouri Students Association, where he serves as an Academic Senator for the College of Arts and Science and sits on the Internal Affairs Committee to help delegate funding to student organizations across campus. He also serves as a Justice for the Residence Halls Association, where he works to improve student life and well-being in the dorms. Outside of his involvement on campus, Luke enjoys cheering on Mizzou athletics and is a huge fan of Chicago sports and Formula 1 racing.

Bobby Lee is a junior from Waterloo, Illinois, double-majoring in History and Constitutional Democracy and double-minoring in East Asian Studies and Political Science. Bobby is actively involved on campus in organizations including the Mizzou Tour Team, Office of Admissions, and Student Organization for the Advancement of Research Education. Additionally, he is currently working on the Santa Fe Trail Project sponsored by the Kinder Institute as part of the ASH Scholars program. Upon graduation, Bobby aspires to attend a doctoral program in history, focusing on the social, political, and borderlands history of China and Taiwan. In his free time, he is an avid fan of basketball and soccer (Go Nuggets and Newcastle!) and Dungeons and Dragons.

Oli McCann is a rising senior from Liberty, Missouri, majoring in Constitutional Democracy and English. Aside from participating in the Kinder Scholars program, she is also a 2023-2024 Kinder Fellow, a member of the Kinder Institute Undergraduate Society Leadership Council, and the Membership/Communications Coordinator for the Mizzou chapter of It’s On Us. She is an avid reader of Stephen King books, an avid watcher of Christopher Nolan movies, and an aspiring political speechwriter.

Greg Pekurney is a junior from North Richland Hills, Texas, majoring in Constitutional Democracy (U.S. & the World Focus) and History, with minors in Political Science and Latin American Studies. Active on campus, he serves as a Justice for the Residential Halls Association and works as a TA for the Amish Communities class on campus. In his free time, Greg likes to run, hike, watch sports, and build the occasional LEGO set when available. After completing his undergraduate studies, Greg plans on joining the Kinder Institute M.A. on Atlantic History & Politics before starting work in historical research and museum education.

Aidan Pittman is a junior from Kansas City, Missouri, majoring in Journalism with interests in discussing, writing about, and reporting on film and politics. He is currently a reporter for the Columbia Missourian, a staff writer for Midwestern Citizen, and a screening committee member for the 2024 True/False Film Festival. On campus, he serves as the Social Chair of the Missouri Debate Union and is a member of Mizzou Model United Nations. In his free time, Aidan enjoys catching movies at Ragtag Cinema, listening to Talking Heads, and going for walks when the weather cooperates.

Jaden Reed, a senior honors student and Kinder Fellow, moved from the Middle East to the Midwest to pursue study of International Studies-Peace Studies with minors in Middle East Studies, History, Political Science, and French. An American born and raised in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Jaden has found a global community at Mizzou. Last year, she pursued a double presidency, equally committed to revitalizing both Mizzou Students for Justice in Palestine and Mizzou Model United Nations. This year, Jaden is serving as Co-President of the Missouri Debate Union and will be interning at City of Refuge. After graduating, Jaden plans to spend some time reconnecting with her family’s cats in Abu Dhabi before returning to the United States to attend law school where she can continue her passion for immigration policy reform in both the American space and the international community.

Emily Reed is a second-year honors student at Mizzou, hailing from Blue Springs, Missouri. She is double-majoring in Constitutional Democracy, with an emphasis in law and institutions, and Philosophy, and pursuing a minor in Spanish. She is involved with a lot of organizations on campus, including Mock Trial, the Missouri Debate Union, the Kinder Institute Undergraduate Society, and the Beta Chi Omicron Honors Society. She is also currently working as a student ambassador for the Kinder Institute. Emily enjoys anything that requires her “to think, whether frivolously, theoretically, or profoundly.” This mostly includes cooking, baking, reading, and writing.

Cristal Sanchez is a second-year student from Rockford, Illinois, majoring in Journalism and Political Science, with minors in Constitutional Democracy and Business. She is the co-founder of ¿De Veras?, an upstarting bilingual news outlet in the Mid-Missouri area. This passion has ignited her to join the MU Communications Department as a research assistant analyzing how news outlets reporting specifically for people of color are building community. At Mizzou, Cristal is also a part of the executive board for both the National Association of Hispanic Journalists and the Association of Latin American Students to advocate for Latino students on campus. When she finds a free spot on her calendar, she tries to take care of her many plants, and enjoys trying different foods from different cultures.

Kylie Schmerbach is a sophomore from Lawson, Missouri, studying Public Policy and Administration and Constitutional Democracy. In addition to being a Kinder Fellow, she is a member of the Kappa Alpha Theta sorority and works as a Kinder Ambassador. Kylie also helps out with the Kinder Institute Democracy Lab as a coordinator for the Undergraduate Lecture Committee. In her free time, she is an avid reader and loves exploring all the coffee shops that Columbia has to offer.

Laurel Scott is a senior at Mizzou, majoring in History, Ancient Mediterranean Studies, and Constitutional Democracy.  Aside from being a Kinder Fellow, she is currently serving on the executive board for our local chapter of the Classics Honor Society, Eta Sigma Phi. Previously, she was on the executive board for Sigma Kappa, a sorority also here at the university. Her future plans are to pursue employment law, with the joint help of her two cats and caffeine addiction to keep her (relatively) sane.

Benjamin Walker is a junior in the Mizzou Honors College, pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Economics and minors in History, Political Science, and Constitutional Democracy. His scholarly interests include political economy, economic history, and the philosophy of everything in between. He is a new member of the University of Missouri Economics Society and a brother of the Delta Chi Fraternity, where he formerly held the positions of President of Associate Members, Health and Wellness Chairman, and By-Laws Chairman. He is also a current member of the Phi Alpha Delta Pre-Law fraternity and interned for the recently elected Boone County Commissioner, Kip Kendrick. In his free time, he enjoys having fun and working out with his fraternity brothers, while staying out of trouble, thinking a little too deeply about the universe, and refining his consumption of caffeinated beverages. He plans on going to graduate school in some capacity after finishing his time at Mizzou and hopefully aimlessly traveling the world in the process.

Kent Waller is a junior from Aurora, Illinois, majoring in Political Science and minoring in Spanish and History, with particular interest in Latin American history and politics. Kent is a part of the Mizzou Mock Trail Association and has done work for The Association of Latin American Students. He is also a part of Kinder Institute Undergraduate Society. Kent is currently interning at the State Public Defenders Office and plans to attend law school in the future.

Lucy Washburn is a sophomore from Jefferson City, Missouri, majoring in Political Science and Constitutional Democracy with a minor in History. She is an active member of the Mizzou Baptist Student Union and the Phi Alpha Delta Pre-Law Fraternity and also serves as the Vice President of Public Relations for Pi Sigma Alpha (Mizzou’s Political Science Club). In her free time, she loves hanging out with her friends, watching movies, and drawing. After graduation, she plans to attend law school.

Zoe Wilson is a sophomore from St. Louis, Missouri, studying Constitutional Democracy and History with an emphasis in Public History. Besides being a Kinder Fellow, Zoe is a research assistant for the Santa Fe Trail Project, a Democracy Lab Fellow, and a member of both the Kappa Alpha Theta sorority and the Undergraduate History Society. In her free time, Zoe enjoys reading, working out, and going out with friends. She is also a history documentary enthusiast, having watched too many to count.