Kansas City, Friday, March 1, 2024 – Great Jobs KC, through its KC Scholars scholarship program, has awarded 150 adults the opportunity to complete college degrees. The nonprofit, which helps Kansas Citians gain economic independence and build careers that sustain themselves and their families, is awarding scholarships, each worth $50,000, to eligible adults (18+) with a high school diploma or equivalent and who have not yet earned a bachelor’s degree.
There are 281,000 adults who have attended without getting a degree, and 96,000 with only an associate’s degree in the six counties Great Job KC serves. The organization disbursed $7,500,000 today as it pursues its mission of equalizing access to post-secondary education, lifting the economic tide of the entire region, and helping everyone thrive. The KC Scholars program will award over 1,000 scholarships this year alone, each one worth up to $50,000.
Great Jobs KC Chief Operating Officer Natalie Lewis expressed the organization’s excitement: “I am thrilled to extend our congratulations to each of the 150 incredibly deserving recipients of our $50,000 Adult Learner College Scholarship. Their commitment to pursuing higher education amidst the demands and responsibilities of adult life is truly commendable. They have taken the courageous step to invest in their future, and we are honored to support them on this transformative journey.”
These scholarships will help recipients earn a two- or four-year degree at one of Great Jobs KC’s many post-secondary network partners. More information on KC Scholar’s adult learner scholarship program is available here.
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 at their website 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 individuals 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.
My name is Karla,
I am originally from Gardner, Kansas. At the age of 13, I began running away from home and was in juvenile detention centers and rehab, all [despite] having excellent parents. I didn’t believe I was worthy of having a good life.
I Once Said ‘No’ to The Adventure of a Lifetime: How KC Scholars’ Adult Scholarship
KC Scholars We are thrilled to share a significant milestone in our organization’s journey. We began
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.
