December 11, 2024
By Kaiya Lynch
As a Kansas City native, Anna Kochman chose the University of Missouri for its renowned journalism program, vibrant SEC marching band and proximity to home. A National Merit Scholar and member of the Honors College, Kochman was drawn to Mizzou for its challenging academic environment and affordability, allowing her to graduate debt free. Initially pursuing journalism, Kochman later discovered a passion for computer science, blending both disciplines into a unique double major that prepared her for a future in software engineering.
During her time at Mizzou, Kochman fully embraced campus life. She proudly marched with Marching Mizzou for four years and served in Tau Beta Sigma, an honorary band service sorority. Her leadership extended beyond music as president of Circle K International, where she championed community service initiatives. A standout moment in the Honors College was giving back to the Missouri Scholars Academy, a program that once inspired Kochman as a high schooler, through meaningful office work that supported the next generation of gifted students.
Looking ahead, Kochman is eager to start her career in software engineering. Reflecting on her time at Mizzou, she credits the Honors College with fostering her intellectual curiosity and willingness to explore new paths, like taking a leap into computer science. Her advice to future Honors students? “Take the classes that sound weird and exciting to you; be kind to yourself and give yourself grace to make mistakes in college.”
Why did you choose Mizzou?
At the time that I chose Mizzou, I was going into journalism, and being from Kansas City, Mizzou was THE journalism school that checked all my boxes: close to home, top-rated journalism program and an SEC marching band. Through the Honors College and as a National Merit Scholar, I was also fortunate to receive scholarships that made it incredibly affordable to attend Mizzou, and now as a soon-to-be graduate, I’m SO grateful to be graduating without debt.
Why did you choose the Honors College?
In addition to the scholarships, I wanted to be part of the Honors College because as someone who was very involved in high school, I knew I wanted more out of my college experience and wanted to continue to be challenged!
What is your favorite part of the Honors College?
When I was a sophomore, I had the opportunity to work in the Honors College through the Founders’ Memorial Scholars program and support Missouri Scholars Academy (MSA), a three-week summer program for gifted high schoolers on Mizzou’s campus, through office work for the Academy’s directors. I attended MSA in high school and it changed my life, so the fact that I was able to give back to that program through the Honors College was incredible.
What are you involved in on campus?
I was a member of Marching Mizzou from 2019-23, as well as a member of Tau Beta Sigma, which is an honorary band service sorority, from 2022-23. I was the president of Circle K International, a community service organization and Kiwanis affiliate, from 2023-24.
What is your favorite Honors course you’ve taken and why?
My favorite Honors course still has to be the Ancient World course in the Humanities Sequence that I took during the fall of my freshman year. Ted Tarkow was the professor for my section, and he was awesome – I’ll never forget his lectures and the discussions we had. Plus, we got to read so many books, which I loved!
What awards/recognitions have you received at Mizzou?
I am a National Merit Scholarship recipient, a Show-Me Scholar, a Walter Williams Scholar, a Bright Flight recipient and a Founders’ Memorial Scholar. This is an internal award to Marching Mizzou, but I also received a Tiger Token last year and that one was particularly meaningful to me!
What are your future plans/ultimate goal and how has the Honors College helped you towards that?
I added my computer science major during the fall of my junior year, so I will graduate with degrees in both computer science and journalism. I’ve definitely had a nontraditional experience here at Mizzou and am entering the software engineering field when I graduate. Having the opportunity to take Honors courses in various different subject areas during my time here definitely encouraged me to take that leap into computer science even though it was something I hadn’t done since high school. The Honors College always encourages students to explore whatever sounds interesting to them, and I definitely took that advice and ran with it! It has been difficult to graduate later than all my peers in my class, but I know that it will be worth it to work in a field I’m passionate about.
What piece of advice would you give to future Honors Tigers?
Take the classes that sound weird and exciting to you, especially while you’re a freshman/sophomore! The Honors College does a great job of offering a variety of courses that might not relate to your major at all, and I think that especially while you’re still early on in your degree program and have time, you should take classes that stimulate you intellectually in ways that are different from your other courses. Also, be kind to yourself and give yourself grace to make mistakes in college. 😊
This story was originally published by the Mizzou Honors College here.