From the Editor, Summer 2025: Failure
A couple of years ago, one of my friends asked me if I’d ever felt like I’d failed at something. At the time, I honestly couldn’t thin...
Chasing Perfection: SEMO Gymnastics Team shares what they learn about failure from the sport they love
Taylor Ingle says she was a clumsy kid. Her parents wanted her to develop more coordination, so they signed her and her two sisters up for g...
Imperfection: It’s in the details
Art Direction and Photos by Aaron Eisenhauer Modeling by Madelyn Kueker Introduction, Art Direction and Styling by Mia Pohlman Photo ...
Epic Fails: Sometimes, it just doesn’t work out
We’ve all been there: We do something that’s not as graceful as we might have hoped, or something doesn’t turn out the way we imagined...
Learning to Do the Puzzle: What failing to navigate solitude in college has taught me about patience
By Erin Urhahn I found a Disney puzzle in my basement in early high school and decided I wanted to put it together. It was either 500 or 1,0...
Artist Spotlight: Amy Clippard
Amy Clippard is a sous chef at Southeast Missouri State University (SEMO), where she balances her time between catering for large events, co...
meet along the way: Sonja Davis
This story was first published in the May 2025 issue of The Best Years as “Community Cookbook: Make Chicken and Dumplings With Sonja D...
meet along the way: Melissa Turner
This story was first published in the Community Cookbook series in the February 2025 issue of The Best Years. Every Sunday, Melissa Turner o...
meet along the way: June O’Dell
This story was first published as part of the Community Cookbook series in the March 2025 issue of The Best Years. June O’Dell of Jackson ...