May 10, 2026
Liberty Stone experienced fulfillment and learned valuable real-world skills through involvement, research and internships.
Liberty Stone graduates in May 2026 with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering. The Sturgeon native has been active in Mizzou Steel Bridge, the Mizzou Engineering Student Council, engineering honor society Tau Beta Pi, and civil engineering honor society Chi Epsilon. She plans to continue her education at Mizzou through the accelerated master’s program, focusing in transportation engineering.
My dad, who is an engineer, introduced me to the profession.
Growing up, my dad and I would talk about transportation topics like interchange designs and roundabouts, and that exposure got me interested in how everything works. I also attended an Engineering Daughter’s Day at Mizzou, which gave me a better look at different areas of engineering and increased my interest in the field. Over time, that interest developed into something I wanted to pursue, which led me to civil engineering, especially transportation.
Mizzou just felt like the right fit.
I grew up nearby, both of my parents are alumni, and my mom is a professor, so I spent a lot of time on campus growing up. Mizzou always felt familiar and comfortable to me. I also liked the opportunities to get involved in student organizations and was excited about the engineering program.
The most memorable parts of my experience have been involvement, especially in Mizzou Steel Bridge.
It’s a different kind of learning compared to the classroom. I’ve been able to build things and develop skills like welding and machining. I’ve also met some of my closest friends through it, which has made the experience even better. Being involved has also given me the chance to do outreach through the Mizzou Engineering Student Council, which is something I care about and want to continue in my career.
I’m currently a student research assistant for Dr. Hani Salim.
Our research focuses on simulating blast conditions. I have also been a peer mentor for Introduction to Civil Engineering. I completed three internships across different areas of civil engineering. I worked as a sewer and stormwater intern for the City of Columbia, a transportation intern at CBB Transportation Engineers + Planners, and most recently as a field intern with Millstone Weber on the Improve I-70 project from Columbia to Kingdom City.
Find a mentor in your field.
I wish someone had told me that as a freshman. A mentor can be a professor, a supervisor or an upperclassman. I only recently found that for myself, and it has made a huge difference in the opportunities I’ve been exposed to and the people I’ve connected with.