09/04/2026
Sitting in a hotel room surrounded by his high school speech and debate teammates earlier this year, Rey Martin received a phone call that left him a bit speechless. The call was from Honors College Dean Catherine Rymph offering Martin the Stamps Scholarship, Mizzou’s premier academic award.
“Getting that call was insane,” said Martin, who is from Raymore, Missouri. “I was so excited and ran around telling everyone that I was not only going to Mizzou, but I was also going to be a Stamps Scholar.”
Martin is one of eight Stamps Scholars beginning their college journeys this fall at Mizzou, and he plans to pursue a degree in social work. It’s a field he has been passionate about for a long time.
“Growing up, I faced some adversity, and I’ve just always wanted to help others,” Martin said. “It’s really the only thing I could see myself doing. I wanted to be that person who supported those individuals who fall through the cracks of the system. Originally, I thought I would study psychology, but around my junior year I realized it wasn’t the route I wanted to take. I didn’t know what to really do next, but I had a teacher who suggested social work, and it seemed to be the perfect fit.”
Learn more about Martin: https://honors.missouri.edu/news/2026/09/driven-to-help-others/
Mizzou College of Health Sciences
