Northwest Missouri State University - Tower Yearbook (Maryville, MO)

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Slai Smich, Jennifer Smith. Jennifer Smith. Krysile Smith. Megan Smith. Miles Smith. Miranda SnixJgrass, Courtney Sparlcs. Bradley Spcgal. Erin Spiegel, Laura St.ingl. Stepltanie icffcn. Derek -Tchly. Ehzabeth ■ iiens, Anthony toM)e, Amanda ueyoshi, Minoni Swee.on. ' R -im Swift. Stephanie Swink, Kara Switier. Nichole Swic er. Tracey Sychra, Tami Tablet, Amanda Terry. Stephen Teubner. Sarah Tholen, Taylor Thomas, Jennifer Thomas, Scott Thu, Br -an Thuraian. Leanne Todd, Manhew Toebben. Julie Tran. Crystal Turner, Lewis Umscheld, Amarula Umstattd. Dan Underft-ood, Hetuy ' an Dusseldorp, Katie Van Zante. Alisa Vescovo. Laura brchmann. Cassi Vostrez, Liz Watson. Nicholas Webster. Jill Webster, Malloi ' Weis. Kim ' ells, Thomas Wendl, Joseph Wermihan, Beth Whipple, Daia Wicker, Renee WUliaitu, Jetard Willingham, Joni Wiilson, Cr ' stal Witte. Allison Wittmaack. Ashley t ' i:e. Michael Wright. Nicole W -nn. Heather Yuui g, Sara Zenor. Katie Ziegler. Shannon Ziinmerschied. Sarah DioirtO - fiU e . e » r ' ' •

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Closure of a generation gap A 4.0 GPA, undergraduate research projects, counties student organizations, dreams to get a Ph.D. and teach in Hawaii were all components of a motivated college student. Then, add a husband of 18 years, a daughter and a grandchild. Older than most ot her professors at 52, Diana Schnarrenherger could have been labeled by her nontraditional student status. However, she took everv opportunity to live the traditional college life. After her daughter, Melissa, left home and made it through college, Schnarrenherger decided she would do the same. While still committed in a marriage with her husband, Alan, m Kansas City, Mo., Schnarrenherger went hack to college, approximately 90 miles away from him. Figuring she could obtain a teaching degree in a few year . she believed their marriage could last. When she changed her major to geography and environmental geography, however, it extended her stay to four years. My husband didn ' t want me to come up here, but he has worked hard at being supportive, Schnarrenherger said. The distance between them put a strain on things. Schnarrenberger ' s busy schedule made it hard for her to travel home. She partook in nearly every outlet the department had to offer with activities such as arranging faculty birthday parties, lab assisting and participating in honor societies for her perfect grades. 1 do all the organizations, because I really love it, Schnarrenherger said. I love being around kids. 1 want to get a master ' s degree and teach while pursuing a Ph.D. in geology. Schnarrenherger believed a full resume aided in the graduate school placement of her choice, the University of Hawaii in Honolulu. My husband did not like the idea of more schooling, Schnarrenherger said. So, when I brought up grad school, he wasn ' t for it — until I said Hawaii. That ' s where we ' ve always wanted to live. We ' ve taken 1 1 trips there, so we want to end up there. Diana Education was important to Schnarrenherger, but in her eyes it did not become her biggest achievements. Without hesitation, she said Melissa, her only child, represented her best work. Showing she admired her mother for her accomplishments, Melissa gave her a Mother ' s Day gift in 2003 that Schnarrenherger held dear to her heart. My daughter gave me this class ring, Schnarrenherger said proudly as she showed it off. She had never wanted one, but she knew how much I did. The ring, given to Schnarrenherger by her greatest accomplishment, signified age did not matter, for life can be lived all over again at 50. She did not let her age become of relevance. She only found humor in it. There ' s just something about going home to take the ACT and finding your first AARP mailing on the table. Diana Schnarrenherger strives to get the most of life while working toward a bachelef ' s degree at age 52. She took advantage of all the univeisiry had to offer during the second leg of her life. phi [ j by Miice Dye S(U T f ' r o At at

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Academic acceleration ify TieVOl HdyHo Most high school students didn ' t think about supporting themseK-es, but 1 7-year-old academy student Michael Troxel learned early. Troxel left high school after running out of classes the end of sophomore year. He applied to the Missouri Academy after hearing about it from another student at school. He learned the academy gave advanced high school students a place to finish their high school diploma and dually receive an associate ' s degree from the university. I had exhausted the academic resources of my high school, Troxel said. There was basically nothing left there. It provided a new avenue for new challenges. Due to family problems, Troxel moved out of his parent ' s home just south of St. Louis after spending his junior year at the academy. He became independent and got a job to support himself through the summer With money saved at the end of summer, he took a bus and visited six cities including Princeton, N.J. Since seventh grade, Troxel hoped to attend Princeton University and study astrophysics or psychology after graduating from the Missouri Academy. I wanted to experience a culture that wasn ' t here, Troxel said. I really just wanted to get somewhere else and see how life was like there. I wanted to go to the places I ' ve always read about but never seen. Troxel traveled along the East Coast for six days leaving behind everything and everyone he had ever known. It was very exhilarating, Troxel said. It ' s an interesting thing to leave and have no goals, no restrictions, just to go and experience a way of life that you ' re not used to. You learn a lot about yourself. Even though he lived alone for a summer, Troxel learned he didn ' t want to be as independent as he thought. Being constantly surrounded by other students at the academy made him want to get away from all the people, but he felt a void when miles separated him from his friends. Being alone in a foreign place really reminded me how much that, even though I dislike being surrounded by people constantly, I really don ' t want to be alone in life, Troxel said. Even though he moved out of his own home, Troxel didn ' t always feel alone in the world. His grandmother ' s couch served as a place to crash during breaks from school, and he found his true home at the academy. I ' ve got a great family here, Troxel said. After living for a year with a group of people very much like yourself, you can ' t help but love them. Because of the academy ' s 8 p.m. weekday and 10:30 p.m. weekend curfews, students spent long hours together in close quarters. It ' s pretty close to a marriage, he said. We love each other, and we ' d do anything for each other, but sometimes, after being cooped up with each other for a long time, you just want to get away from each other. Troxel ' s travels enabled him to do that. He got away from everything he knew. He saw a new culture and took a step toward new challenges and opportunities at Princeton, where he planned on earning his doctorate before setting up a private practice, researching or teaching. If I could stay in school tor the rest of my life and continue learning, that would be great, but obviously, that ' s not financially possible, he said. I want to learn as much as possible, go through life, meet as many people as possible, live with as many different types of people, just experience life in general. ■f ' i 4 -