Published on Dec. 8, 2025
Every year, MSA recognizes an MSA faculty member or RA who exemplifies the highest ideals of the Missouri Scholars Academy with the Standing Ovation Award.
From her dedication to building strong community bonds within the Academy and encouraging students to be the truest version of themselves, this year’s award winner is Morgan McGurk (MSA’19, RA’23-‘25). Morgan was recognized at this summer’s closing ceremony.
Her unwavering dedication to the Academy is something that every person at MSA can see, and we are so grateful for all of her hard work these past few years.
As a scholar in 2019 from Lee’s Summit, Morgan McGurk had low expectations for how MSA would impact her life, only seeing the program as an opportunity to build upon her resume. However, once she moved into Mark Twain Hall and started her classes, she realized just how magical and transformative MSA truly was.
“I was introduced to a culture that encouraged learning for the sake of learning and challenged us to be interested, not interesting.” said McGurk at the 2025 MSA Closing Ceremony. “At MSA, I became a more authentic, passionate, and curious version of myself, and I still carry these traits with me today.”
Last June, Morgan completed her third and final year as an RA. Since 2023, she has worked to create the strong sense of community and “magic” that she experienced in 2019 for new groups of scholars.
Grace Sullentrup, one of the 2025 Coordinators of Residential Life, described how Morgan creates this sense of belonging, saying, “When Morgan was around, you were bound to find a group of scholars engaged in lively conversation—whether discussing their favorite recent reads, the day’s Cor activity, or the best pop album of the year. Morgan has a remarkable talent for meeting scholars where they are and helping them find the space to authentically be themselves at the Missouri Scholars Academy.”
One of the qualities that made Morgan a great RA, according to Sullentrup, is her ability to build rapport within the RA community and use those relationships to create a positive, caring, and lighthearted atmosphere for the scholars.
During her speech, Morgan discussed how being an RA has changed her perspective on the Academy, saying, “My experience as an RA has made me love and appreciate MSA more than I ever thought I could. MSA feels magical as a scholar, and it’s largely because of the hard work that RAs, faculty, and staff put in behind the scenes. To be able to contribute to this magic for three years has been incredibly rewarding.”
Some of her favorite memories as an RA come from the little moments, such as conversations with scholars in her Cor classes, singing “Bohemian Rhapsody” at the street dance, and the many jokes and laughter from her house meetings. All of these experiences and more help contribute to the positive and accepting community within MSA.
Morgan finished her 2025 closing speech by defining the heart of what we aim to create at MSA. “I hope you remember how it feels to be a part of something like this. To be surrounded by people who see you, challenge you, and care about you not for what you achieve, but simply for who you are. This is the spirit of MSA.”
While her time as an RA has come to a close, she is excited to contribute to the Academy in new ways in the future. Beyond her work with MSA, Morgan graduated from the University of Arizona with a bachelor’s degree in Human Development and Family Science in May of 2025. She currently works as a Social Emotional Interventionist at an elementary school in Kansas City.
We look forward to seeing her grow in this new chapter of her life. Thank you and good luck, Morgan!