Published on Feb. 1, 2015

Emma Worgul is an accountancy major at the University of Missouri—hence an interest in statistics. She is also the newest recipient of the Brazeal Honors College Endowed Diversity Scholarship, which covers tuition, room, board and books as well as entrance into the Discovery Fellows research program and the cost of studying abroad. It was created through the generosity of Jim and Cathy Brazeal.

“I am motivated to honor the Brazeals’ investment in me with my very best effort in all areas,” Worgul says. “I am particularly eager to meet the other Brazeal Scholars on campus to share experiences and learn from them.”

She will expand on her interest in math through the research opportunity afforded to her with the Brazeal Scholarship. Worgul will design and implement a research study of her own, working with accountancy professor Billie Cunningham, and has ideas centering around forensic accounting that she is eager to pursue.

Worgul considered other universities—Southern California, Michigan State and Washington University in St. Louis—but after a visit to MU, the choice was clear.

“I can’t stress enough how important it was for me to tour Mizzou and to meet the professors and students,” she says. “They helped make me feel like I belonged even before I did.”

Worgul attended Blue Valley North High School in Overland Park, Kansas, where she earned the Presidential Community Service Award in each of her four years of high school. She hopes to continue her service to the community while at MU.

“At the end of the day, I want to make a difference somewhere,” Worgul says. “Mizzou seems like the place where I could do that best.”