Tell Your Story

Gary: UMKC, the Beginning of MY Lifelong Adventure

I entered Kansas City University in 1961 on a full ride Victor Wilson Scholarship. In 1963, KCU became UMKC. I was a Biology major with dentistry as my career goal. Aside from my pre-dental courses such a comparative anatomy and organic chemistry, I gravitated toward the field biology courses such as plant ecology and ornithology. I graduated with a BS in Biology in 1965 and had applied to the UMKC School of Dentistry. Acceptance to dental school back then was not a given so as a back up the head of the Biology Dept. had lined me up a Masters Degree program at Kansas University. Well, I received my letter saying I had been accepted. At that time, no one had ever taken the Victor Wilson Scholarship into professional school. I wrote a letter to the scholarship committee saying I realized no one had ever done this, but that I was still in the same system and was there any chance my scholarship could carry into dental school. I didn’t hear anything for several weeks and thought it was a case of nothing ventured, nothing gained, but low and behold I received a letter from the faceless scholarship committee that said they had decided to extend my full ride scholarship into dental school. So I ended up with my scholarship covering four years four years of undergraduate and four years of dental school. My father died when I was in high school. So even with working part time during undergraduate school, I probably wouldn’t have been able to afford my UMKC education. For that I will be eternally grateful. I graduated from the UMKC Dental School in 1969 during the height of the Vietnam War. Graduating dentists were being drafted into the Army. Rather than wait to be drafted, I signed up for the U.S. Navy Dental Corps. For three years of the Vietnam War, I served overseas. I decided I liked the Navy and ended up serving for 30 years. At some point I realized I was interested in and adept at the leadership and management side of Navy dentistry. So during my career my assignments included serving as Executive Officer of the largest Navy Dental Command in the world in San Diego, overseeing over 600 healthcare professionals; Commanding Officer of the 21st Dental Company and Brigade Dental Officer on the Commanding General’s staff of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Brigade; Commanding Officer of Naval Dental Center Pensacola responsible for the dental readiness of 45,000 sailors and Marines in a six state area of the SE United States and Head of Dental Operations on Navy Medical Department staff responsible for supporting all Naval and Marine Corps medical and dental facilities west of the Mississippi and across the Pacific. My personal awards include The Legion of Merit, three Meritorious Service Medals and two Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medals..

Since retiring from the Navy in 1998, I have been a volunteer naturalist and a birding teacher and field trip leader for several organizations including the Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve in La Jolla, CA, the San Diego Audubon Society and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

So my education and experiences at UMKC not only allowed me to have a successful career in the U.S. Navy Dental Corps, but it allowed me to return to my love of the natural world as a volunteer teacher and naturalist for the past 27 years. For that UMKC will always have a special place in my heart.

Gary Grantham
BS Biology ’65, DDS ’69

Harold: 50+ Years of Connected Service

My UMKC journey began a year after UKC joined the Missouri system in 1964. The journey continued through three degrees including BA, MA, and EdS. I thought the latter was my terminal degree; however, I went on to another university to complete the EdD. Highlights included working with the School of Education alumni as president and the UMKC Alumni Association as vice president. The alumni organizations make UMKC a strong, community-based asset. In 2006, I was awarded a Presidential Citation as the first Bill French Service Award.
All that being said, the real impact has been made on my life through the friendships and relationships of hundreds of alumni devoted to UMKC. I was able to win a Goals 2000 grant to work with area education departments in five universities. The work we did together brought about changes to their teacher education programs. The greatest change was made by UMKC that led to the establishment of the Institute for Urban Education.

I continue to support UMKC not from a feeling of duty, but as a strong belief that an urban university makes a difference in the lives of its students, graduates, families, and all who are a part of Kansas City.

Chelsea: Caring Boldly: A Pediatrician’s Path Through UMKC’s EMBA Program

The most meaningful gift I received from UMKC’s Executive MBA program was my cohort—an incredible group of professionals who have become life-long friends, thought partners, and colleagues. The strength of this community continues to shape my journey as a physician-entrepreneur.

I joined the EMBA program as a seasoned pediatrician with a growing curiosity about the business side of healthcare. UMKC’s entrepreneurial focus drew me in, and the experience quickly exceeded my expectations. With the support of my professors and peers, I launched a concierge pediatric telemedicine platform during the program. That venture laid the foundation for my latest endeavors—co-founding a pediatric medical device company and opening a direct primary care pediatric clinic in the Northland, where I soon will be serving families who prioritize their children’s health and development.

I hope future UMKC students discover, as I did, that the university offers not only knowledge, but a community that encourages bold ideas and practical action. My exposure to business through UMKC empowered me to branch out from traditional medicine, innovate healthcare delivery, and create a clinic grounded in personalized care, evidence-based practice, and plenty of heart. I am deeply grateful to the professors who helped me grow the confidence, skills, and strategic insight I needed to make that leap. My hope is that UMKC continues to champion innovation and develop leaders who aren’t afraid to build something new.

Samantha: ROO and sobriety for life.

I don’t share my story often but UMKC was a part of my sobriety journey. My life was spiraling out of control and I was desperate to change that. I had a friend, who had a friend who worked at UMKC. With their help, I was hired at UMKC, to answer phones for a department. It was my first sober job. That job changed how I felt about myself. I was forced to choose between short term fun or long term goals. I chose long term goals, sobriety being one of them. 10 years later, I was still working at UMKC, and had gotten my bachelor’s degree. I left UMKC (only) to pursue a career as an addictions counselor. I was terrified to leave. That was in 2010. Seven years later and employed as a licensed addiction counselor, I returned to UMKC to pursue a degree in counseling. In 2020 I graduated with my Masters and am successfully working as a licensed therapist and additions specialist. Being a Roo changed the trajectory of my life and I will forever be grateful. P.S. I am still sober today. Thank you UMKC.

Jordan: MPA for First Gen Roo

I didn’t have to look far when I was searching for a graduate program in Kansas City. UMKC was accessible and supportive as I received my MPA. I think fondly of the 2 years I lived over by the Nelson-Atkins Museum, worked as a graduate assistant on a research project with my dept, and took classes in the evening. One of my favorite memories was going on a study abroad trip to Portugal, which was funded through a scholarship from the Women’s Graduate Assistance Fund. Proud to be a UMKC alum. Roo up!