Laura Farmer had never heard the term "social work" before attending Missouri State University. She planned on another major. But after the first lecture of her introduction to social work course, she had found her calling. Seventeen years later, she has helped change the lives of hundreds of foster children and families. As executive director of Court Appointed … [Read more...] about Alumna strives to support every foster child in Greene County
High school sweethearts Matt and Abby Howard have taken the internet by storm. They have more than 5.1 million TikTok followers, 4.38 million YouTube subscribers, and a combined 1.7 million Instagram followers. Both attended Missouri State to study acting, but changed their majors to elementary education (Abby) and finance (Matt). It was not until the pandemic hit, and … [Read more...] about Alumni couple are social media sensations
Mark Dixon admits he is the man who can't say no. Growing up as a minister’s son, he’s always had a desire to help people. That has only grown as he’s gotten older: “I’ve been volunteering in some manner for the past 40 years of my life and loving every minute of it." He is an ordained minister and volunteer for countless community groups. He also manages Recovery … [Read more...] about Alumnus’ life is dedicated to “teaching and preaching, community work and helping people”
At 30, Kim Becking was doing it all. She was working in a high-level position for the mayor of Kansas City after leaving a large law firm to focus on public service. She was also founding a communication business and caring for her young family. Then she received a breast cancer diagnosis. After that news, Patti Balwanz — Becking’s Alpha Sigma Alpha sorority sister and … [Read more...] about Alumna is a best-selling author and motivational speaker
Dan Cobb’s senior year at Missouri State was far from typical. He was a traditional age student, but he was married and had a toddler. He was also tapped by two MSU professors to help them launch a software company. It would have been easy for him to land a job at a corporation after graduation. And, startups require grueling hours. Even though he knew all this, Cobb … [Read more...] about Software startup pioneer “was recruited by two MSU professors, and that changed my life”