Raytown Students Attend Summer Academic Program at MU

Four students from Raytown are among Missouri’s brightest high school students who recently attended the Missouri Scholars Academy (MSA) at the University of Missouri.

Local Students who attended MSA include:

Raytown High School
Yermeya “Zen” Bagunu, Kansas City

Raytown South High School
Gordon Casey, Raytown
Jacob Summers, Raytown
Cody True, Raytown

MSA began in 1985 and provides students opportunities to expand their educational and social skills. This year, students spent their time at Mizzou in intensive classroom settings, studying one of four individually selected subjects, including mathematics, science, social studies and humanities. Each Missouri high school nominated one junior-to-be for the academy; larger schools could nominate more students. Students at the academy represent nearly every county in the state.

“This is a special year for MSA because we are celebrating the 30^th anniversary of the program,” said Ted Tarkow, associate dean of the College of Arts and Science and director of MSA. “Students who come to MSA gain valuable educational experience that they would not gain otherwise while also interacting with peers who share their same interests.”

Outside the classroom, students were introduced to a series of activities, workshops and discussions by guest speakers. Students learned from experts in the fields of aeronautical engineering, global warming and autism. In addition, the students had an opportunity to hear from Linda Godwin, a former astronaut and current professor of physics at MU. The students attended performances by jazz artist Eugene Lowry and hypnotist Tom Thale. The students also took field trips to the National Churchill Museum in Fulton, Mo., and the Missouri Symphony Society orchestra.

MU is the largest and oldest university of the state’s major public, land-grant research institutions.