A quarter of 2024 Mizzou ’39 recipients hail from Missouri School of Journalism

Mizzou '39 2024 award recipients gathered in front of Jesse Hall.

COLUMBIA, Mo. (March 12, 2024) — Ten seniors from the Missouri School of Journalism are among the 39 winners of the Mizzou ‘39 award. Administered by the Mizzou Alumni Association Student Board, the annual award honors high achieving seniors across all majors for their ability to balance leadership, service and academic excellence throughout their student careers at MU. All 39 students were named during a special ceremony held at traditions plaza on Feb. 28.

“The School of Journalism’s large presence in Mizzou ’39 demonstrates that our students are not only standout journalists and strategic communicators, but they are great university citizens,” said David Kurpius, dean of the School. “Walter Williams founded the School on the principle of public service, and these 10 students have taken that philosophy to heart.”

The Mizzou ’39 award for undergraduate students is one half of a larger combination of awards called Mizzou 1839, where the Mizzou ‘18 portion recognizes graduate and professional students in their final year at MU for similarly high merit.

Since 2005, the programs have honored the spirit of service that made the 1839 founding of the university possible, said Todd McCubbin, executive director of the MU Alumni Association.

“It is a very competitive process, with hundreds of seniors applying,” McCubbin said. “There are multiple rounds of interviews. Applicants are generally the best of the best in terms of what they have done for Mizzou.”

It is a very competitive process, with hundreds of seniors applying. There are multiple rounds of interviews. Applicants are generally the best of the best in terms of what they have done for Mizzou.
Todd McCubbin, executive director of the MU Alumni Association

Each of the winners represent different academic and extracurricular corners of Mizzou. At the School, they represent a variety of interests including strategic communication, reporting and writing and broadcast journalism.

These award-winning students were also allowed to list influential MU faculty as mentors, with four mentors representing the School of Journalism: Holly Higginbotham, a strategic communications professor; Lynda Kraxberger, associate dean for undergraduate studies and administration; Katrina McCann, an adjunct professor based at the School’s NBC affiliate, KOMU-TV; and Jon Stemmle, a strategic communication professor and co-director of MOJO Ad, the School’s student-staffed advertising agency.

Though these awards are for the students, they also represent how impactful the mentors have been in helping the students achieve success.

“I strive to build a rapport with students in the classroom so they’ll feel comfortable seeking me out outside the classroom. I love to connect with students on an individual level,” Higginbotham said. “Building those relationships is one of the best parts of teaching.”

This year’s awards are special for the School as a distinguished institution at MU, as more than a quarter of the Mizzou ’39 are journalism and strategic communication students.

“We do this job because we love to teach. I mean, this is where I graduated from, and I wanted to give people the same education that I got going through here,” McCann said. “I wanted to give back to the students and give them that same guidance and those same opportunities that I got coming through the journalism school.”

Meet the students

Allison Ortmann

Hometown: St. Louis, Missouri.
Extracurricular Activities/Honors: Honors College; Lyon, France Study Abroad Internship summer 2022, Kappa Alpha Theta sorority, Former Theta officer (various positions), Theta academic mentor, Head French Teaching Assistant at La Petite Ecole for past 3 years, Disney College Program Participant / Photographer, former member of Matchbook Marketing.

Ethan Levy

Hometown: Northbrook, Illinois.
Extracurricular Activities/Honors: Former Secretary & Historian of Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity; Drone Journalism TA; 2022 MUJW Counselor; Mizzou Broadcast Operations; Mizzou Honors College; Dean’s List Fall 2020 – Present.
Professional endeavors: After graduation, Levy will be joining the Chicago Cubs as the Coordinator, Control Room Technology for Cubs Productions.

Madilyn Schott

Hometown: Joliet, Illinois.
Extracurricular Activities/Honors: Marching Mizzou Color Guard Section Leader; Venture Out Student Administrator; Team Mizzou Member of the Year (2023); Team Mizzou Scholarship Recipient (2023); Marching Mizzou Alumni Band Scholarship Recipient (2023).
Professional endeavors: After graduation, Schott will be attending graduate school at George Mason University for a master’s degree in higher education and student development. Schott’s undergraduate experience has inspired her to continue her work providing students with opportunities through outdoor recreation. Schott will serve as the Graduate Professional Assistant at GMU’s The EDGE, the high ropes course and experiential learning program at Mason Recreation.

Molly Miller

Hometown: Denver, Colorado.
Extracurricular Activities/Honors: ASUM President; Missouri Students Association Vice President; Pi Beta Phi; Missourian Reporter and Photographer; Fulbright Semi-Finalist; CLIP Congressional Program – Rep. Emanuel Cleaver’s Office; ASH Scholar; Walter Williams Scholar.
Professional endeavors: Work on a political campaign before moving to Washington D.C.

Jonathan Jain

Hometown: Kennett, Missouri.
Extracurricular Activities/Honors: Tri-Director of the 2023 Mizzou Homecoming, 2022 Homecoming Steering Committee, 2022 Greek Week Steering Committee, 2022 & 2023 Rockin’ Against Multiple Sclerosis steering committees, Alpha Gamma Sigma fraternity, Remington R. Williams Student Leader of the Year Award inaugural recipient, Walter Williams Scholar
Professional endeavors: Jain plans to attend the University of Missouri School of Law.

Ryan Wilson

Hometown: Mundelein, Illinois.
Extracurricular Activities/Honors: National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ- Ale’ Chapter)- former Committee Chair of NABJ Ale Chapter, Honors College, former member of Matchbook Marketing, member of the American Advertising Federation Mizzou.
Professional endeavors: American Advertising Most Promising Multicultural Student Class of 2024, MOJO Ad Copywriter, BLAC Alumni Class of 2022.

Shannon Worley

Hometown: St. Louis, Missouri.
Extracurricular Activities/Honors: Account Director, Matchbook Marketing; Digital Potter Ambassador, Reynold’s Journalism Institute; Audience Engagement Journalist, Vox Magazine; Digital Director Apprentice, University of Missouri One Newsrooms; Division of Inclusion, Diversity and Equity Communications Team; International Center’s Friendship Program; member, Events Director and Vice President of External Affairs, Kappa Alpha Theta; Staff and graphic designer, Relationship & Sexual Violence Prevention Center; Summer Welcome Leader, Social Media Manager and Reservation Staff, New Student Programs; photographer, reporter and Arts and Culture Editor, The Maneater; Mizzou Student Foundation; Student Mental Health Ambassador, University of Missouri Student Affairs; Walter Williams Scholar, Missouri Bright Flight recipient, Bold Student Journalist Award, National Student Press Law Center; National Association of Broadcasters Fellow.
Professional endeavors: After graduation, Worley will move to Dallas, Texas where she will work at Dallas Morning News as an Audience Engagement Fellow.

William Wehmer

Hometown: Springfield, Missouri.
Extracurricular Activities/Honors: Mizzou Tour Team, Alpha Sigma Phi, Greek Week Steering Committee, and the American Advertising Federation (AAF).
Professional endeavors: After graduating, Whemer will stay in Columbia to finish a master’s degree and then pursue a career in account management within an advertising agency.

Trevor Lerit

Hometown: Kansas City, Missouri.
Extracurricular Activities/Honors: Mizzou Cheer – Team Truman, Mizzou Letterwinner Club Recipient, Alpha Gamma Sigma, Red Bull Student Marketeer, University of Missouri Interfraternity Council – VP of Public Relations, MU TV.
Professional endeavors: Lerit hopes to pursue a career as a spokesperson or brand representative and hopes to one day be an Oscar Mayer Hotdogger.

Elizabeth Trower

Hometown: Perry, Missouri.
Extracurricular Activities/Honors: Mizzou ‘39 Recipient -2024, Homecoming Top 30-2023, Courageous Leadership Series Undergraduate Student Cohort -2023-Present, Hesburgh Scholarship-Junior Recipient- 2023, 2023 Stickell Honors Student Fellow- Selected by faculty as their representative of all students studying Strategic Communication at the University of Missouri-Columbia. Honors College- 2021-Present, Dean’s List- 2021-Present, ODK (Omicron Delta Kappa) Distinguished Top 14 Freshman- 2022, Chancellor’s Leadership Class-2022.
Professional endeavors: Trower hopes to work in the non-profit field doing Public Relations, preferably for the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Updated: March 12, 2024