Kansas City, Thursday, Jan. 18, 2024 – Today Great Jobs KC, through its KC Scholars Scholarship Program and Missouri State University, awarded 267 scholarships worth $50,000 each to local high school students, most of whom will be the first in their families to be able to attend college.
Great Jobs KC, a nonprofit that helps local residents gain economic independence and build careers that sustain themselves and their families, believes that equalizing access to postsecondary education and training will increase the number of individuals with family-sustaining careers, which will positively affect the entire region. The organization’s KC Scholars program has awarded 730 scholarships during this school year’s award cycle.
“We are so grateful to welcome our newest postsecondary partner, Missouri State University. Their demonstrated commitment and investment are helping us change the lives of over 600 brilliant students that otherwise would go unawarded each year during our scholarship process,” said Great Jobs KC COO Natalie Lewis. “These 267 newly awarded students are a testament to the excellence in the Kansas City community, and it is only right that we do our part to help them reach their full potential. Our community and workforce need these scholars and can’t afford to leave their talent undeveloped.”
The partnership between Great Jobs KC and Missouri State will allow the KC Scholars program to meet the needs of more of its applicants than ever before. Year over year, applications have been increasing, and the goal to meet the needs of all applicants has led Great Jobs KC to form these partnerships.
“Missouri State and Great Jobs KC share a dedication to advancing higher education access and affordability. Together, we further our goals toward that end,” said Dr. Ryan Reed, Director of Access and Success Programs at Missouri State. “This partnership empowers hundreds of students with access to educational opportunities. Opportunities like this are transformative for students, their families, and their communities.”
Missouri State University is a public, comprehensive university system with a mission in public affairs. Our purpose is to develop fully educated persons with a focus on ethical leadership, cultural competence, and community engagement.
For more information about MSU, visit www.missouristate.edu. You can also find us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and see what’s happening on YouTube. Receive notification of Missouri State news releases as soon as they are posted by subscribing to our news blog.
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.
The Kauffman Foundation’s generous grant helps Great Jobs KC get closer to its $100M goal, supporting 50,000 Kansas City residents with job training and education.
Great Jobs KC Great Jobs KC, the KC Scholars program which launched in Fall 2022,
Great Jobs KC 575 students will receive money to continue their education. KANSAS CITY, MO.
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.
Program offers:
Eligibility Requirements:
If you need more information on program details, please find our FAQs HERE
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.
