GET STARTED
BE A DONOR
SCHOLAR PORTAL

Community Reviewers Help Shape Our Future Workforce

Great Jobs KC

Are you looking for a way to contribute to Great Jobs KC beyond financial donations? Our Community Reviewers play a crucial role in shaping the future of our organization. As third-party reviewers, community reviewers are instrumental in selecting our next cohort of Scholars. Their careful review of potential Scholar applications and essays in March and April ensures a fair and unbiased selection process, guaranteeing that the most qualified applicants continue their education with Great Jobs KC. This is a rewarding experience, and our reviewers can take pride in the fact that they are making a significant impact on the future workforce of Kansas City.

“I’ve been a reviewer for [Great Jobs KC] for three years now. Reading the essays of hopeful applicants who share their dreams of one day going to college – and the challenges they are currently overcoming to get there – is an emotional and humbling experience. For these kids, going to college is not a rite of passage; it is the opportunity of a lifetime… Thanks for the opportunity to be part of [Great Jobs KC]. I am grateful, and I am better for this experience.” – Laurie, Community Reviewer.

While nonprofits thrive on donations, there are many ways to support their mission. For the Great Jobs KC – KC Scholars Scholarship Program, our Community Reviewers are a vital asset. These individuals not only contribute to our mission and our Scholars but also find the experience incredibly rewarding. Many of our reviewers have described it as a fulfilling opportunity to give back to their communities.

“When I read scholarship applications, I’m often brought to tears. Students share the devastating personal and financial struggles that they’ve already faced.  Teacher recommendations detail how these young people work hard at school and in their community. It’s not easy reading applications; but, it’s been such a meaningful experience—one I’ve done for several years.” – Vicky, Community Reviewer.

We constantly seek individuals with knowledge, understanding, and experience with the challenges of enrolling in and completing a college degree. While this volunteer opportunity has a higher hourly commitment, it is entirely online and can be done from anywhere, allowing for more freedom for our reviewers.

So, who makes a great reviewer? Selecting our reviewers is just as rigorous as selecting our newest Scholar cohort. We aim to have the highest level of integrity with this process. To ensure a fair review process, we make all applications confidential so reviewers cannot see names and allow our reviewers to share any potential conflicts of interest. While these are the first steps to ensure a fair judging, we also require specific reviewer eligibility. This includes that reviewers also live, work, or volunteer in one of our six working counties, reviewers are not allowed to have close connections to applicants or staff at Great Jobs KC, they must be 21 years old or older, and our reviewers reflect the diversity we aim to support with our programs. Following these specifications, selected reviewers must be available to attend a 2-hour virtual training session and commit to 15 to 18 volunteer hours.

"Being a reviewer helps me connect to a part of my community... These are my peeps not some abstract image on a newsfeed. Being a reviewer gives me [a] very personal connection to understanding the challenges, struggles, dreams, and goals of a population wanting to be more, do more, [and] give more to themselves and their communities. It makes me more compassionate and caring in doing my part to assist in their success. Their success is my success.”

Rose, Community Reviewer

Make an impact by becoming a community reviewer for our future 2026 cycle! Follow this link (Reviewer Interest) to express your interest in becoming a community reviewer so we can send you the application link once it opens.

About Great Jobs KC

Great Jobs KC is a Kansas City-based nonprofit that provides access to college scholarships and tuition-free job training, along with job placement assistance for young people from low- and modest-income families in the metropolitan area, providing a pipeline of talent for a strong regional workforce. Please join us on our mission for economic independence for all. For more information, visit www.greatjobskc.org.

Related Articles

A group of graduates in caps and gowns celebrating outdoors. Text on the image reads "Over $12 million in scholarships being awarded." These scholarships are paving the way for promising careers.
Days
Hours
Minutes
Seconds

Stephanie underwood - Chief financial Officer

Stephanie Underwood serves as Chief Financial Officer at Great Jobs KC, where she leads the organization’s financial strategy in support of its mission to create economic mobility through education and workforce opportunities. With more than 17 years of experience in nonprofit finance, Stephanie brings deep expertise in financial planning, budgeting, forecasting, and compliance. She is passionate about using her career as a platform to serve and support mission-driven organizations, helping them maximize impact through strong financial stewardship.

Prior to joining Great Jobs KC, Stephanie served as Chief Financial Officer for Griffith Centers, a behavioral and mental health organization, where she oversaw financial operations for a multi-million-dollar organization spanning residential, educational, and community-based programs. She also spent nearly a decade as Vice President of Accounting Services at NFP Partners, providing CFO-level leadership to nonprofit organizations across the country, with a focus on strategic growth, audit readiness, and governance.

Outside of her professional role, Stephanie volunteers her time at her church and serves on the board of a local nonprofit. She is known for her collaborative leadership style and her commitment to aligning financial strategy with mission impact. She holds a Master of Science in Accounting and is proud to be a first-generation college graduate.

 

 

 

Adult Learner College Scholarship

The Adult Learner Scholarship application is closed. Please click GET STARTED to be added to communication reminders on when to apply during the next open cycle.

Program offers:

  • Up to $25,000 paid directly to the college over the course of up to six years.
  • Once awarded, the Scholar can enroll full or part-time the fall semester following awarding.
  • Scholarship can be used at any of our college partners. See our current list of partners HERE.
  • Scholarship can be used towards an associate’s degree, bachelor’s degree, or a credit-bearing credential. 

Eligibility Requirements: 

  • Be a high school graduate or GED holder (24 years or older).
  • Live in one of the six eligible counties. (Kansas: Wyandotte, Johnson; Missouri: Cass, Clay, Jackson, Platte)
  • Be income eligible. (FASFA Student Aid Index of 12,000 or less)
  • Have not previously earned a bachelor’s degree.
  • Have not previously been awarded a KC Scholars Scholarship (Traditional or Adult Learner).
  • Is not currently enrolled in a Great Jobs KC Skills Training Program.
  • US Citizenship/Residency is not required to apply.

If you need more information on program details, please find our FAQs HERE

GET STARTED

Jimmy Swift - Chief Operating Officer

As the Chief Operating Officer, Jimmy Swift is responsible for overseeing our core programs, our adult workforce development program, Great Jobs KC tuition-free job training, and our KC Scholars Scholarship Program, which includes 11th Grade Traditional Scholarships and Adult Learner Scholarships. 

Jimmy has a career in education that spans more than 25 years and is built around supporting and improving the performance of career training programs and leading the operations of degree-granting institutions. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a concentration in management and has served as Campus President, Vice President of Career Services, and Executive Director of various career schools.  

Most recently, Jimmy served as the Vice President of PLA University at Phalen Leadership Academies, bringing access to job skill training to the parents and families of the Scholars served by Phalen Leadership schools across the country.  Beyond his higher education experience, Jimmy serves as the Executive Board Chairman for Project Safety Net NY, a nonprofit community-based agency delivering a broad range of health, education, and prevention services to the New York Community. As the Chief Operating Officer for Great Jobs KC, he and his team are poised to make a substantial impact on the economic stability and future of Kansas City.

Great Jobs KC
Powered by  GDPR Cookie Compliance
Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.