Director’s Corner: We Made It!

CASE scholars and supporters, We have arrived at the end of one of the most challenging academic years in recent history. As we all attend the virtual, drive-by and in-person graduation celebrations (as well as our CASE Salute to Excellence), we are reminded why the work we do in CASE is so important for your…

Senior Spotlight: DeMario Malone

After four years of undergraduate schooling, many students are ready to leave academics behind and start their careers. Graduating senior DeMario Malone is up for a different challenge. Soon, Malone will be moving from Missouri to Pennsylvania to attend Temple University School of Medicine. Graduating Senior and Suggs scholar DeMario Malone…

Senior Spotlight: Justine Durham

Since her freshman year, MU senior and CASE Scholar Justine Durham has let her passions and goals guide her work and involvement. The experience she has gained as coordinator of the Diversity and Inclusion team at the MU Career Center, a former member of Women of Color, Honor and Ambition (WOCHA), TRIO and other programs,…

Senior Spotlight: Gabriel Martin Sasamoto

The most important parts of Gabriel Martin Sasamoto’s college experience won’t appear on his diploma or transcript. His biochemistry degree and chemistry minor are underscored by personal growth and volunteer work to benefit his community. MU Graduating Senior and CASE Scholar Gabriel Martin Sasamoto smiles for a photo on MU's campus.…

Senior Spotlight: Janelle Finch

Those who know MU senior and Brooks Scholar Janelle Finch say “she’s always on go.” Whether she’s reporting for KOMU, serving as the president of the Epsilon Psi chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc, or tending to her duties as vice president of National Association of Black Journalists, Finch is continuously working. For Finch,…

Director’s Corner: We Are Here for You

CASE Scholars, You have almost completed a year at MU that may have provided many opportunities, hopes, setbacks and challenges. As we approach the end of the Spring 2021 semester, we want you to focus your efforts on finishing the semester as strongly as possible. We also want you to know that the CASE remains…

From Freeport to NPR: Katelynn McIlwain Takes the Midwest by Journalistic Storm

A 17-year-old Katelynn McIlwain sat in her high school English class in Freeport, Illinois — where the school mascot is a pretzel and the closest newspaper is 40 minutes away — listening to a National Public Radio story about postpartum death rates in Black women. “It told the story of a black woman who died,…

A Family’s Sacrifice for Success: The Story of Ymbar Polanco-Pino

MU Junior Ymbar Polanco-Pino leans on his faith to guide him. It’s something his parents instilled in him when he was a little boy. He witnessed them make unimaginable sacrifices for their family. Now, Polanco-Pino doesn’t let anything stand in his way. This mindset helped pave the way for his eventual research with NASA and…

Director’s Corner: Dr. Andre Thorn

Hello CASE Scholars and supporters, We are coming down the final stretch of Spring 2021. I hope you are ready to finish the semester strong! In fact, finishing strong is the focus of my update for you all. We, in CASE, recognize that this academic year is not ideal. We are hearing from our CASE…

Cos’ Closet: How Marcos Feliciano Turned His Passion For Fashion Into a Business

For graduates of MU’s Trulaske College of Business, running a profitable company isn’t new. However, the difference between those graduates and Brooks Scholar Marcos Feliciano is that he didn’t wait until graduation to jumpstart his business. MU business student Marcos Feliciano sifts through clothes at a Goodwill in Chesterfield Valley, Mo.,…