Submitted

Rusk Munoz from Chillicothe, MO, has been selected as North Central Missouri College’s Outstanding Student for January. Rusk, a Missouri A scholarship student, is pursuing an AA degree and plans to graduate in May. After graduating from NCMC, Rusk plans to attend Missouri State University and earn a degree in English and Library Science. Rusk would like to work in the children’s section of a library and write and illustrate children’s books.

At NCMC, Rusk is involved in Student Support Services, PTK Honor Society, Book Club, First Gen Club, and is Vice President of Nerd’s Guild. Rusk also holds two work study positions as a Mentor in SSS and at the NCMC Library. Rusk said, “What I love most about NCMC is the people. The staff are great, and I like that I have friends I came here with as well as friends I’ve made through my classes and activities. I also really like the size of the campus.”

Rusk’s favorite classes have been art classes, especially painting, with instructor Jim Norris. Rusk said, “I love that I can be creative, and I enjoy the environment. I’ve made a lot of friends in my art classes, and Instructor Norris is an awesome instructor and great guy.”

Rusk went on to say, “I chose NCMC because several of my family members attended here. It’s close to home and feels like home. I participated in Upward Bound all four years of high school, so I was already familiar with campus. Being part of Student Support Services has meant a lot to me. NCMC was also a cost‑efficient way to get my gen eds, and the class sizes were a big factor. It’s easy to talk to my instructors and work with them. I’m so glad I didn’t go to a big university right away.”

Each month, a student is nominated by a faculty or staff member to be featured as an Outstanding Student based on their dedication to educational success, attitude toward learning, and hard work in their field and activities.