In June 2023, Great Jobs KC partnered with Ralph Yarl to create the first KC Scholars—Ralph Yarl Scholarship for Great Jobs KC’s KC Scholars Traditional Scholarship Program. Ralph Yarl is a local Kansas City student passionate about music. In 2022, Yarl accidentally knocked on the wrong door, was wrongfully shot, and survived. His determination and strength made Great Jobs KC want to create a personalized scholarship connected to his name.
This scholarship, worth $50,000, was awarded to fellow musician Isabella Peters. Ralph wanted to make sure the scholarship rewarded a student equally as passionate about music. Isabella, a student at Lincoln-Prep Academy was selected to receive this inaugural Ralph Yarl KC Scholars Scholarship. This scholarship recognized Peters as a distinguished student in the Kansas City community. It will support her in continuing her passion for music at one of our 25 university partners to earn a degree in her desired field, inspiring and motivating other students with her success story.
Ralph Yarl met and spoke with his awardee, Isabella, at Great Jobs KC’s Make Your Mark event, hosted for the KC Scholars Scholarship Program’s newest awardees. Here, Isabella learned of her latest accomplishment and shared what this experience has meant to her on CNN, “As a fellow musician, it’s very rewarding to be able to connect with [Ralph] on that level.”
To learn more about the Ralph Yarl KC Scholars Scholarship and Isabella Peters’ inspiring journey, be sure to watch the full interview on CNN. Watch now!
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.
Great Jobs KC is proud to announce the 2026 awarding class of its flagship KC Scholars 11th-Grade Scholarship Program. In its 10th anniversary year, 778 high school juniors across the six-county Kansas City region have been selected to receive scholarships of up to $50,000 each, representing a staggering total community investment of $38.9 million.
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 Northwest Missouri State University and the University of Saint Mary partner with
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.
