Great Jobs KC, through its KC Scholars scholarship program, and its college partners announced that it awarded 1,082 deserving young adults with college scholarships – totaling nearly $46 million. This announcement, part of the organization’s annual KC Scholarship Awards Season, is a huge step in the goal to support the future generation of leaders in the greater Kansas City area through making higher education accessible.
The 2025 class of scholarship awardees includes: awarding 901 11th-grade high school students scholarships of up to $50,000, giving 152 adult learners up to $50,000 scholarships to achieve their college dreams and presenting 181 9th-grade high school students with College Savings Match awards worth up to $1,400.
“Awarding all these great young adults for their hard work is always the highlight of my year,” says Great Jobs KC CEO Earl Martin Phalen. “I came to Great Jobs KC because I was inspired by the organization’s mission to help unlock the potential of underserved communities in Kansas City through access to college scholarships and tuition-free job training and it is incredibly rewarding to help these brilliant young people on their journey to create a better future for themselves and their families.”
Great Jobs KC enables social and economic mobility for scholarship recipients as well as their families and their communities. It not only provides the economic means to attend college but offers the necessary support along the way to succeed in college. The organization doesn’t stop at graduation, its mission is to secure great jobs for its Scholars and it has done so for over 1,700 Kansas Citians so far. The impact of a $50,000 scholarship on an individual is beyond measure.
Even though this level of Scholar support is incredible, there is still a large unmet need in the Kansas City community. Great Jobs KC encourages donors who want to help fund the success of their fellow Kansas Citians and build strong communities to consider giving here or visiting greatjobskc.org after learning more about the importance of Great Jobs KC’s impact in the Kansas City Metro Area.
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 adults 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.
Great Jobs KC 575 students will receive money to continue their education. KANSAS CITY, MO.
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.
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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.
