An Outstanding Recognition | Mizzou ‘39
Holly Enowski – Science & Agricultural Journalism
Snippets pulled from “An Outstanding Recognition” written by Logan Jackson, March 24, 2020.
As a student at Eldon High School (Eldon, Mo.), Enowski spent plenty of time on the University of Missouri campus – through jazz ensemble, state championship basketball games and FFA. When it came time to pick a college, she tried her hardest to come up with an excuse to not attend Mizzou. At the end of the day, the positives outweighed the negatives by a large margin.
“Ultimately, my desire to pursue a global education with a focus on both agriculture and communications made Mizzou the best choice for me,” Enowski said. “I wanted to study science and agricultural journalism because of the fusion of agriculture and food, a subject close to my heart, and a world-renowned journalism education. The major was the best of both worlds for me and highlighted both of my biggest interests and strengths coming into college. I knew I’d find my home in CAFNR.”
Enowski made sure to get involved at MU right away. It was a decision that paid off quickly.
“One of the things I am so very thankful that I grasped onto early in my college career is that age is just a number, and class standing has no bearing on what you can accomplish,” she said. “My freshman year, I worked alongside a senior, and fellow Mizzou ’39 recipient Maria Kalaitzandonakes, and others to create the Deaton Scholars Program. Without her constant encouragement and challenging me to do more, I don’t know where I would be today. You only have four years to make a difference here and to set yourself up for success.”
Enowski said she has numerous favorite memories during her time at MU, including serving as the president of the Mizzou chapter of Collegiate Farm Bureau and placing in the top 16 at the American Farm Bureau Federation’s National Discussion Meet competition. She also had great experiences during her three international trips. In addition, she was named the Outstanding Freshman Student during the 2017 CAFNR Celebration of Excellence ceremony.
Enowski added that her science and agricultural journalism advisor, Sharon Wood-Turley, played a huge role during her collegiate career, helping her through course changes and major decisions.
“CAFNR fully prepares students for their future careers and empowers students to make choices that best fit their professional and personal goals,” Enowski said. “I feel so fortunate to have found a home in both CAFNR and the School of Journalism, but it’s truly because of, and within CAFNR, that my passions for food insecurity were taken seriously and were fostered. I have three on-campus jobs through CAFNR – one with FAPRI, one with the Food Equation Institute and one overseeing the Deaton Scholars Program and the Missouri Youth Institute. Those are simply not experiences that you can have as an undergraduate in other colleges on this campus or elsewhere. By senior year, I was working in jobs I loved as much as I was in class and studying – and that’s exactly how CAFNR prepares students for future careers. I’m a multi-faceted soon-to-be college graduate with real-world experience, and I owe so much of that to CAFNR.”
According to Enowski, ending her collegiate career with the Mizzou ‘39 Award was a huge honor.
“It was incredibly humbling to be selected for Mizzou ’39,” she said. “As a freshman, I looked up to the recipients of this award and saw the things that they were doing on campus and for the communities that they were a part of, and aspired to make that type of impact by the time I graduated. I never thought I’d get there, but it’s because of the many mentors I’ve had both within CAFNR and elsewhere that encouraged me to truly do something while I was here. To be recognized as one of the highest caliber students here at MU – it’s an honor I’ll hold onto as an alum.”