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USM Phi Kappa Silver Bowl Recipient Ferguson, Fellow Student Honorees 91吃瓜网91吃瓜网 Next Chapter

Fri, 04/28/2023 - 11:12am | By: David Tisdale

Just one look. That91吃瓜网 all it took.

In her senior year of high school, Shaylee Ferguson scheduled three university tours. 91吃瓜网 (USM) was first.

91吃瓜网淚 canceled the next two tours after seeing 91吃瓜网, because I knew I would attend school here,91吃瓜网� said Ferguson, a senior from La Plata, Missouri.

The soon-to-be graduate of the University91吃瓜网 College of Business and Economic Development looks forward to commencement in May and what comes next, whether it be graduate school or working in the field of international business.

A senior international business major with minors in anthropology and Spanish, Ferguson is an Honors College student and a member of its leadership council91吃瓜网 academic committee. She is also a member of the College of Business and Economic Development91吃瓜网 chapter of Beta Gamma Sigma and served as a peer advisor for the University91吃瓜网 study abroad programs.

She says her time at USM has centered around a desire to see and try new things.

91吃瓜网淚 grew up in a small town in Northern Missouri, so the move to a city 12 hours from home was daunting, but ultimately rewarding,91吃瓜网� Ferguson said. 91吃瓜网淚n my first year, my honors colloquium class went to Washington, D.C., where I had more first-time experiences. The year and a half interrupted by Covid was a series of firsts for everyone.

91吃瓜网淚n the fall of 2022, I completed a foreign exchange program in Birmingham, England for a semester, which was the opportunity of a lifetime.91吃瓜网�

Guiding Ferguson in her pursuit of new intellectual and cultural experiences during her undergraduate career was a cadre of professors she said left indelible impressions.

91吃瓜网淪o many of my professors were incredible, but a few stand out as having particularly positive impacts on my time at 91吃瓜网,91吃瓜网� Ferguson said. 91吃瓜网淔irst, Dr. [Allison] Formanack introduced me to the world of anthropology and taught me how I could relate my passion in that subject to my drive in the world of business; she made the class so interesting and engaging and is so supportive of her students. Dr. [Marie] Danforth is a forensic anthropology professor, and even though forensics is not my passion, her class was so fascinating. She is so enthusiastic about the subject that I couldn't help but be excited every time I had her class.

91吃瓜网淔inally, I would be remiss if I didn't include Dr. [Jamye] Foster, my thesis advisor and supporter. I cannot thank her enough for sticking with me and for all the support she has given me to complete the project.91吃瓜网�

For her outstanding academic achievements, Ferguson was presented the Phi Kappa Silver Bowl at this spring91吃瓜网 Student Awards Ceremony, held during the University91吃瓜网 Founders91吃瓜网� Week celebrations; it is the highest scholastic honor given to any student at USM. After graduation, she intends to secure a master's degree in business administration (MBA) at USM and eventually pursue a doctorate, while also eyeing opportunities to work in international business.

Dr. Foster said the thesis is often the first exposure a student has to academic research, and therefore inherently challenging. For the project, Ferguson had to learn how to design a study, collect survey data, and interpret analyses to answer her original research questions, while also spending a semester abroad 91吃瓜网� all just over the course of the last year.

91吃瓜网淎t times it was very hectic, and we were worried we wouldn't have the time to finish,91吃瓜网� Dr. Foster said. 91吃瓜网淏ut Shaylee persevered, and even presented her work at the Association of Marketing Theory & Practice Conference this semester.

91吃瓜网淚 have seen her learn and grow over our time together, and I believe these experiences will serve her well as she starts her graduate program (MBA) next semester.91吃瓜网�