GET STARTED
BE A DONOR
SCHOLAR PORTAL

Adult Learner Success: Selene’s Journey to Purpose with KC Scholars

Great Jobs KC

An adult learner success story unfolds as a person stands indoors next to a dog mascot in a blue and yellow shirt. Both are smiling and waving at the camera.

Selene is an Adult Learner in the KC Scholars Program of Great Jobs KC studying at the University of Missouri – Kansas City. Currently in the Bloch Business School, Selene is pursuing her Bachelor’s in Nonprofit Management and has found her experience to be nothing short of inspiring. Selene moved to Kansas City for a fresh start and new beginnings. Working from home as a Tech Support Specialist her first few months in the city, Selene rarely had an excuse to leave her house and explore and had limited local connections to do it with her. She began looking through social media to learn about the city, culture, and to find groups for herself to make these connections. This soon led her to the Facebook group; Black Women Making Friends KC and began her journey of connecting with fellow Kansas Citians.

One day, Selene shared her interest in wanting to return to school and opened herself to advice in the group on how best to do this. After reading the responses, Selene recalls that over 85% of the women who responded recommended this program called ‘KC Scholars’ where adults had the opportunity to return to school and get a degree with little to no cost. While many of the responders were current Alumni of the program or people who were exposed to the program in the past, Selene figured it was as good a time as any to really put this dream to the forefront of her mind. Once Selene was sent the link to the website, it was a no-brainer to apply.

Soon after, Selene received the good news that she was one of the select Kansas City adults accepted into the KC Scholars Adult Learner Program. Hearing this news, Selene realized her goal to grow her business knowledge and in turn, build her own brand, was finally within reach. Selene shares how having this opportunity has made her feel more complete within herself. To be able to fulfill her lifelong goal of building a business with the proper tools, in her mind, will finally make her feel grown up and living her purpose.

I have always wanted to complete [my] degree, but life would get in the way… I am getting older and I kind of felt like it was now or never.

Selene

While Selene moves into her second year of her program, she is excited to start a new chapter in her education journey, one including being a KC Scholars Ambassador for the next school year. Post-graduation, Selene plans to find a job with increased pay so she can own a home and start her nonprofit, which will focus on housing aged-out foster children and giving them a safe space to continue to grow within themselves. We cannot wait to watch Selene continue to grow within her program and reach her lifelong goals!

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.