When first starting his undergraduate degree, Rankin was interested in the banking industry. Soon after, he began seriously considering law school. He determined the shift to a more collective and positive outlook after reading This Changes Everything by Naomi Klein for the first time. Rankin found this self-growth indispensable to his current success and position.

Over the summer, Maddie Kunz, a third-year scholar, took the Dental Admissions Test (DAT). With a score of 26, Maddie scored in the 99.5th percentile. She accomplished this score by studying five hours a day, five days a week, for ten weeks during the summer. She is thankful that her study efforts paid off. She “could not have done it without this program” and the continued support of UMKC and the Trustees.

A third-year scholar, Mary Gipson, scored in the 99th percentile on the Dental Admissions Test (DAT). To achieve this accomplishment, Mary studied 15-20 hours a week for about five months. She is ecstatic with her score and “even more excited that it was well above what I needed to reserve my seat” in the Reserved Admissions Program for UMKC School of Dentistry.

First-year scholar Yasmina Mokhtar earned the Gold Award—the highest honor within the Girl Scouts—and $10,000 by creating a sustainability solution to change the world. For Yasmina, her Gold Award is called “Embracing Cultures: Welcome to America,” which “focused on reading and literacy, specifically English as a Second Language, within the refugee community in Joplin, and a lower socioeconomic class in Cairo, Egypt.” In her hometown of Joplin, she spent her afternoons at a reading group, teaching third graders how to read, write, and speak English. She embarked to Egypt, where she created a six-week summer program that taught girls English and embroidery. She even started two free libraries in Joplin and one in Egypt. Even without her presence, she has ensured that these programs continue to thrive and open up opportunities for others.

Laila Atkins is from Kansas City, Missouri, and attended Grandview High School. Laila is majoring in Political Science and minoring in Race, Ethnic, and Gender Studies (REGS). After graduation, she plans to attend a master’s program and find a “balance of a corporate career that also leaves space for [her] own business ventures, and also travel.” Her hobbies include baking, coloring, painting, watching movies and reality TV, and going out to eat. Jambalaya is her favorite food at the dining hall. Her favorite class this semester is Intro to Race, Gender, and Ethnic Studies because it challenges her on a different intellectual level. Laila’s favorite thing about Kansas City is the diverse cuisines and restaurants it has to offer.

Maisy Blanton is from Wichita, Kansas, and graduated from Andover High School. She is majoring in Communications with a dual emphasis in Digital journalism and Professional Communication and minoring in Race, Ethnic, and Gender Studies (REGS). After she graduates, she hopes to find a career that involves both her love of writing and media. When she is not writing, she loves reading, watching movies and TV, eating new foods, singing, and dancing—specifically tap dancing. She likes the chicken tenders in the dining hall because “they are hard to mess up.” Her favorite course is Intro to Journalism because she gets to “work with such an experienced journalist [Professor Kraske] who is still active in the field.” Maisy’s favorite thing about Kansas City is the big city feel with lots of exploration and food options.

Andrew Custis is a graduate of Metro High School in St. Louis, Missouri. Andrew is majoring in Earth and Environment Science with a focus on earth science. Following graduation, he plans to go to graduate school and do research. He enjoys running, playing the guitar, and cooking. Biscuits and gravy are his favorite dining hall food item because “they remind [him] of home.” He likes to study in the special collections in the Miller Nichols Library. Andrew shares that his favorite thing about Kansas City is the exploring aspect of it. He has “enjoyed going on walks to get to know the city better.” 

Atlas Mallams graduated from Liberty High School in Liberty, Missouri. Atlas is a Computer Science major and hopes to use his skills “to make drastic improvements in health equity by analyzing data trends that lead to bad health outcomes and using artificial intelligence to predict what areas will need extra support.” Once he settles in at UMKC, he hopes to be an active member of the Computer Science Club, Trans+, and the Neurodiverent Student Union. On top of his coding interests, he enjoys Star Wars, playing video games, reading, and hanging out with friends. Waffles are his favorite dining hall food. Social Justice and Cultural Awareness is his favorite class because of the course’s project-based learning and discussion structure. Because of its design, he has “more opportunities to not only talk to more people but also have a deep and intellectually stimulating conversation about society with them.” Atlas’s favorite thing about Kansas City is the small-town, homey feel.

Yasmina Mokhtar, a graduate of Thomas Jefferson Independent Day School in Joplin, Missouri, is a double major in Sociology and Spanish. Yasmina’s future plan is to go to law school with aspirations to pursue a career as a district attorney. At UMKC, she is involved with the Mock Trial Team and the KC Chakra team. During her free time, she enjoys listening to music, reading books, watching movies and shows, embroidering, and hanging out with cats. However, you won’t find her around butterflies because she has a legitimate fear of them! Her favorite dining hall food is the chicken tenders. Intro to Race, Gender, and Ethnic Studies is her favorite class because it introduces her to different perspectives. When asked about her favorite thing about Kansas City, Yasmina says that Kansas City has a lot of food options and that “there’s always something to cater to any craving.”

Alexis Reed is from Kansas City, Missouri, and graduated as class valedictorian of Center High School. She is majoring in Biology and minoring in Spanish. After graduation, she plans to get her master’s degree or attend medical school. Since coming to UMKC, she has joined Sigma Tau Delta, Honors Student Association, Pre-Medical Society, and Biological Sciences Society. She likes to read, travel, and hang out with her friends. Her favorite dining hall food is Alfredo because she “could literally eat pasta for every meal.” Her favorite spot to study on campus is the rooftop of the Student Union because of the peaceful outdoor environment. Alexis’s favorite thing about Kansas City is that it is the “perfect middle ground” for “big city vibes without the actual chaos of a big city.”

Micaela Richards graduated from Blue Springs South High School in Blue Springs, Missouri. Micaela is majoring in Business Administration with an emphasis in finance. She plans to earn a master’s degree with the ultimate goal of working in non-profit management or advocacy. At UMKC, she is a member of Enactus and Alpha Delta Pi. Her hobbies include baking, swimming, reading, and writing. Her favorite dining hall food is mac and cheese. She describes it as a “comfort food” and her “go-to order.” Her favorite study spot on campus is the lounge in Bloch Heritage Hall because “it’s just the right level of noise to be productive.” Micaela loves Kanas City for its energy. When she’s walking around the city, she “thinks and sees so many small things (the art, the food, the music) that celebrate being alive.”

Lily Dang

I took a 16-day trip with my family. We flew to San Jose, CA, to stay with extended family on my mom’s side. This was my first time meeting them, and it was such a special moment! Each of the next four days was an invitation to someone’s house, where we would eat a whole Thanksgiving feast. Then, we spent a day in San Francisco, where we saw the Golden Gate Bridge, the pier, and the soft opening of my uncle’s hotpot restaurant.

On the sixth day, we drove along California’s most scenic route (Highway 1), during which my appreciation for nature grew fonder. We spent two days in Anaheim at California Adventures and Disneyland, where we celebrated Disney’s 100th anniversary. I loved watching the ‘Magic Happens’ parade. We made our way to San Diego, where we spent two days visiting family, the San Diego Zoo, Balboa Park, the Japanese Friendship Garden and Museum, and the USS Midway Museum.

The following days were spent reuniting with my dad’s side of the family in the Orange County area. I met family members I did not know (next time, I think there should be name tags). We celebrated my uncle’s ordination for the Catholic priesthood at Christ Cathedral. This was such a beautiful moment and such a blessing for my family. At the reception dinner, I met a popular Vietnamese singer I grew up listening to.

No words can describe what this trip meant to me. I will always cherish this memory. I am family-oriented, so the moments when I get to be around my family are the happiest things for me. It’s wonderful to see how big my family is and be reminded that I will never be alone.

Throughout our lectures, I learned about remarkable poets such as Robert Burns and the lasting impact his style of poetry has had. We also learned about the Scottish individuals who pioneered modern economics, medicine, sociology, geology, and philosophy. It was interesting to learn that Scottish society was among the first to advocate for the separation of Church and state, allowing individuals to receive education from their universities, regardless of their religious beliefs or social status. I appreciate that the Scottish strongly believe in preserving history and making it easily accessible for others to learn about via their free museums and other free sites. I was also impressed by Scotland’s commitment to environmental friendliness, such as charging for single-use bags! 

I had the opportunity to visit the Kelvingrove Museum and Art Gallery, the National Museum of Scotland, Skara Brae Prehistoric Village, The Kelpies Sculptures, Dunvegan Castle and Garden, Halkirk Highland Games, Edinburgh Castle, the Ring of Brodgar Stone Circle, Stone of Stenness, Glenfinnan Viaduct, The Battle of Culloden sights, and many other thrilling sites. 

I allowed myself to be open to the changes that came with life in another country, as that was the only way I could fully immerse myself in their culture and way of life. I hope the experiences I shared help you understand how important it is to be open to learning about others and places that are unfamiliar to you. This is the only way we can grow and come to appreciate our differences more.

I got married on August 5, 2023, in Lee Summit, MO. My now husband, Michael, and I met in my first week of college at UMKC. He is studying Mechanical Engineering and is planning to attend law school and go to Army BOLC post-graduation. We got married at Oakwood Church, where my dad has been a pastor since I was two weeks old. I had a busy summer planning and prepping for the wedding. I traveled the entire month of June while taking two courses at UMKC. Michael was away at military training for two months, which made it even more chaotic! In the end, it was a wonderful time and such a blessing to be surrounded by friends and family.  

Mauricio interned at the Burns & McDonnell headquarters here in Kansas City, Missouri as a Civil Engineering Intern with the Transmission & Distribution department, specializing in the Underground & Submarine Cables (UGSC) group. Within UGSC, Mauricio took on a variety of responsibilities, with day-to-day tasks consisting of creating project civil/electrical specifications, completing underground cable routing and splice vault placement studies, completing civil/electrical project cost estimates, completing cable pulling/ampacity calculations, marking up plan and profile drawings, sitting in on client meetings, attending vendor presentations, and creating presentations to share to clients. Outside of the workday, there were many opportunities to get involved as well. Mauricio was part of an intern soccer team, volunteered at Harvesters, learned how to golf, and went on a site visit to a substation. Having the opportunity to intern with Burns & McDonnell not only gave Mauricio valuable exposure to the engineering, consulting, and construction industry but also highlighted the great company culture. The office and the people he interacted with radiated positive energy, and Mauricio felt like a valued part of the work community throughout the summer.

First-year scholar Yasmina Mokhtar started her embroidery business in 2022. After taking up the hobby during COVID-19, she discovered it was a useful outlet for her creativity. Yasmina runs the account through @sillyy.stitches on Instagram. She takes commissions for sweatshirts, tote bags, hats, or anything that customers can think of! While she is versatile with her products, she often gets commissioned to do floral designs for college merchandise.