What is a Transition Mentor?
Transition Mentors are current students leaders who have taken various roles to help support incoming first-year students. These folks are the students giving you campus tours, connecting with you at Griffon Showcase events, and serving as peer mentors for our Griffon Orientation and Griffon Edge programs. They are excited to meet you and help you in your first year on campus – don’t hesitate to reach out to them!
One Word: What does Missouri Western mean to you?

Abbi Lueders
Hometown: Omaha, NE
Major: Speech Communication
Favorite Movie: Baby Driver
Favorite Show: Lucifer

Abby White
Hometown: Platte City, MO
Major: Nursing
Favorite Movie: Napoleon Dynamite
Favorite Show: The Office

Alli Lorton
Hometown: Higbee, MO
Major: Nursing
Favorite Movie: Anything Disney
Favorite Show: Criminal Minds

Aneshea “Neesh” Quarles
Hometown: Kansas City, MO
Major: Communication
Favorite Show: Love and Basketball
Favorite Show: All American

Austin Hoverder
Hometown: Smithville, MO
Major: Strategic Communication
Favorite Movie: The Parent Trap
Favorite Show: How I Met Your Mother

Baileigh Castanedo
Hometown: St Joseph, MO
Major: Biology – Health Science
Favorite Movie: Tangled or The Princess Diaries
Favorite Show: Dance Moms

Bailey Gilbert
Hometown: Faucett, MO
Major: Exercise Science
Favorite Movie: Lion King
Favorite Show: Friends

Bailey Harris
Hometown: St. Joseph, MO
Major: Nursing – Biology
Favorite Movie: Twister
Favorite Show: The Office

Bri Wieberg
Hometown: Jefferson City, MO
Major: Creative Writing and Publishing
Favorite Movie: The Green Book
Show: The Outer Banks

Brittany Addison
Hometown: Lathrop, MO
Major: Psychology
Favorite Movie: Love, Rosie
Favorite Show: Jane the Virgin

Caitlyn Cregan
Hometown: Platte City, MO
Major: Biology – Health Science
Favorite Movie: Set It Up
Favorite Show: Criminal Minds

Caitlyn Thompson
Hometown: Williamsburg, KS
Major: Business Management
Favorite Movie: Bohemian Rhapsody
Favorite Show: Supernatural

Cam Edmonson
Hometown: Highlandville, MO
Major: Criminal Justice, Legal Studies
Favorite Movie: Greater
Favorite Show: Parks and Recreation

Caroline Langley
Hometown: St. Joseph, MO
Major: Biology – Health Sciences
Favorite Movie: Remember the Titans or Secondhand Lions
Favorite Show: Grey’s Anatomy

Claire Lenz
Hometown: St. Joseph, MO
Major: Nursing
Favorite Movie: Mamma Mia
Favorite Show: Outer Banks

Davion Lopez
Hometown: Independence, MO
Major: Business Management
Favorite Movie: The Lion King
Favorite Show: The Office

Dawson Schmutzler
Hometown: Raytown, MO
Major: Biology
Favorite Movie: The Heat
Favorite Show: The Office

Izzy Barlos
Hometown: St. Charles, MO
Major: English Education
Favorite Movie: The Outsiders
Favorite Show: It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia

Emily Walkup
Hometown: St. Joseph, MO
Major: Art Education

Erika Sandridge
Hometown: Lathrop, MO
Major: Psychology
Favorite Movie: The Dirt
Favorite Show: The 100

Ethan Martin
Hometown: Garden City, KS
Major: Digital Animation
Favorite Movie: Treasure Planet
Favorite Show: Smallville

Gabriel Relaford
Hometown: Raytown, MO
Major: Studio Art/Art Therapy
Favorite Movie: Ladybird
Favorite Show: Brooklyn 99

Gabriella Rustici
Hometown: Smithville, MO
Major: Elementary Education
Favorite Movie: She’s the Man
Favorite Show: Psych

Gracy Greener
Hometown: Chillicothe, MO
Major: Elementary Education
Favorite Movie: Hercules
Favorite Show: Friends

Hailie Lewis
Hometown: Independence, MO
Major: Nursing
Favorite Movie: Girls Trip
Favorite Show: Jane the Virgin

Hallie Wilcoxson
Hometown: Liberty, MO
Major: Biochemistry
Favorite Movie: Just Wright
Favorite Show: Dexter

Hannah Murphy
Hometown: Lawrence, KS

Jacob Hudanick
Hometown: St. Louis, MO
Major: Criminal Justice
Favorite Movie: Star Wars: Empire Strikes Back
Favorite Show: The Witcher

Jennifer Dorris
Hometown: O’Fallon, MO
Major: Psychology, Chemistry
Favorite Movie: Forrest Gump
Favorite Show: Parks and Recreation

Kairstin Snyder
Hometown: Atchison, KS
Major: Social Work
Favorite Movie: Princess and the Frog
Favorite Show: Criminal Minds

Kaitlyn Whaley
Hometown: New London, MO
Major: Nursing
Favorite Movie: The Phantom of the Opera
Favorite Show: The Walking Dead

Kelsey McCluskey
Hometown: Rolla, MO
Major: Physical Therapist Assistant, Health and Exercise Science
Favorite Movie: Jurassic Park
Favorite Show: Parks and Recreation

Kennedie Meadows
Hometown: Kearney, MO
Major: Social Work
Favorite Movie: Sweet Home Alabama
Favorite Show: All American

Kristian DuVall
Hometown: St. Joseph, MO
Major: Nursing
Favorite Movie: The Lord of the Rings Trilogy
Favorite Show: The Last Kingdom

Lexis Talato
Hometown: Kansas City, MO
Major: Population Health Management
Favorite Movie: Lilo and Stitch
Favorite Show: Stranger Things

Madison Frakes

Maelea Coulson
Hometown: Gallatin, MO
Major: Nursing
Favorite Movie: Any Marvel Movie
Favorite Show: The Office

Maggie Copenhaver
Hometown: Shelbina, MO
Major: Biology – Zoology
Favorite Movie: A League of their Own
Favorite Show: The Politician

Maija Farmer
Hometown: Kansas City, MO
Major: Nursing
Favorite Movie: Mulan
Favorite Show: Naruto

Malia Johnson
Hometown: St. Joseph, MO
Major: Nursing
Favorite Movie: The Breakfast Club
Favorite Show: Criminal Minds

Manique Shannon-Burnett
Hometown: Kansas City, MO
Major: Social Work
Favorite Movie: Anything Horror
Favorite Show: Supernatural

Marissa Garza
Hometown: Kansas City, MO
Major: Biology/Philosophy
Favorite Movie: Fried Green Tomatoes
Favorite Show: Community

Mehreen Tai
Hometown: St. Joseph, MO
Major: Biology – Health Sciences
Favorite Movie: Jumanji
Favorite Show: Criminal Minds

Michael Huynh Le
Hometown: Kansas City, MO
Major: Computer Science
Favorite Movie: Source Code
Favorite Show: How I Met Your Mother

Molly Harmon
Hometown: Lee’s Summit, MO
Major: Nursing
Favorite Movie: Monsters Inc.
Favorite Show: Law an Order SVU

Nic Schultz

Riley Rasche
Hometown: Chillicothe, MO
Major: Early Childhood Education
Favorite Movie: Pride and Prejudice
Favorite Show: Friends

Riley Schneider

Riley Zimmerman
Hometown: Beaver Lake, NE
Major: Nursing
Favorite Movie: The Hunger Games – because of the book!
Favorite Show: Grey’s Anatomy

Sarah Newcomb

Scott Le

Sean Peters
Hometown: Kansas City, MO

Shawn Boss
Hometown: St Joseph, MO
Major: Biology – Health Sciences
Favorite Movie: Star Wars Episode 3
Favorite Show: Scrubs

Tamara Booker
Hometown: St.Louis, MO
Major: Social Work

Taylor Ripley
Hometown: St.Louis, MO
Major: Social Work
Favorite Movie: Blue Crush
Favorite Show: Gilmore Girls

Tia Booker
Hometown: St.Louis, MO

Tyra Booker
Hometown: St.Louis, MO
Major: Social Work
Favorite Movie: The Chronicles of Narnia
Favorite Show: The Originals