05/08/2026
We love seeing our students thrive!
Personal Financial Planning student, Ian Loyd, has truly hit the ground running during his first year at Mizzou.
Twin brothers Ian and Nik Loyd have made the most out of their first year at , especially through their experiences in the Honors College. The Columbia, Missouri, natives are both enrolled in courses taught by Sabrina Michael, an assistant teaching professor in the Honors College.
Ian, a Mizzou Personal Financial Planning major, took the “What’s the Buzz About Bees?” course this semester, where he dove into the fascinating world of honeybees and their connection to humanity. He had plenty of hands-on learning experiences at the Mizzou beehives, too.
“I'm an avid gardener, so raising bees someday is something I've always thought about,” Ian said. “It was very exciting getting to work directly with the bees because they are so intelligent, and there are many little interactions that they have that you would never know about unless you have the chance to get up close and watch them for yourself.”
Nik, an anthropology (Department of Anthropology, Mizzou) major, was enrolled in the “Blue Earth: Aquatic Science Through SCUBA” class this spring. This course discusses the earth’s most mysterious and vital ecosystems. Students were able to gain practical experience and basic scuba skills. Nik is now a referral diver, too!
“I’ve always been interested in exploring the world, and I do that best through hands-on opportunities,” Nik said. “I wanted to take the class because it offered a unique window into marine biology and our oceans, and I get to be scuba certified by the end of it. We not only had scuba lessons, but also labs where we dissected fish, sharks and squids, which really helped me get a picture of what makes life able to survive in the ocean, and helped me learn more about the environments they lived in.”