Your Impact

Katrinka Sizemore’s mother remembers that her daughter was so determined to play an instrument as a young child, that Katrinka convinced her aunt to give Katrinka her piano.

“We never had to encourage her to play,” Kathy Riggs says of she and her husband, James Riggs. “Music was her.”

In high school, Sizemore took oboe lessons, and her instructor told her she could compete at the state level.

”She used her independent study time in school to practice oboe. It was music, music, music with this child and we just watched from the sidelines.”

Sizemore attended UMKC and earned her B.A. in music in 2001; she graduated from the University of California – Los Angeles with a master’s in music in 2003.

As an adult, Katrinka married Aaron Sizemore, a musician who began playing professionally when he was 15 years old. They started Music House, School of Music in Overland Park, Kansas, for children to learn to play instruments and perform in a collaborative setting. Aaron and Katrinka believed that music is made to be shared and developed a teaching method they felt was more collaborative and avoided an arrogance that was sometimes present in music education.

“They sparked each other,” Riggs says.

The concept and business was a success from the start. In two years, they had 300 students. Currently Music House has three locations.

“Katrinka handled the business side, and she was inspired by the process,” Aaron says. “She was so smart and had so much grit and integrity.”

Katrinka was diagnosed with stage IV breast cancer when she was 30 years old.

“She approached it as a learning opportunity,” Sizemore says. “She continued to teach, and she wrote an oboe book. The doctors told her she had two years to live. She survived for seven.”

Aaron donated her oboe to UMKC, and with her parents established the Katrinka Marie Sizemore Music Scholarship to support students with financial need who are studying oboe performance. Katrinka’s lifelong friend, Megan Shumaker, makes regular contributions to the scholarship through the Shumaker Family Foundation.

“I knew Katrinka my whole life,” Shumaker says. “We were in cribs together. I thought a scholarship was a good way to remember her. Katrinka would have wanted something to help students go into the arts.”

Antwone Moore, a junior who is pursuing his bachelor’s degree in music education, is one student who has benefitted from Katrinka’s legacy. As with Katrinka, he is passionate about the oboe. He says that with the help of his 6th grade teacher, Bronwyn Short, “The oboe chose me.”

When he began to think about college, UMKC seemed to be the perfect fit. A Kansas City, Kansas native, he didn’t want to be too far from home, and he was comfortable at the university.

“I was familiar with the music department from being in the UMKC Conservatory Bridges program. After doing my research, I felt this was the right choice. I wanted my freedom,” he says. “But I didn’t want to be too far from home. The culture here is so nurturing.”

Celeste Johnson, associate professor of oboe, was an advocate for Moore’s receiving Katrinka’s oboe.

“I was thrilled that Antwone received this oboe – it could not go to a more deserving student. I am so happy that this generous donation makes it possible for a talented, hard-working student like Antwone to pursue his goals and dreams to become a music teacher.

Moore did not know that Johnson was working on his behalf, or that the gift of an oboe was even a possibility.

“I don’t talk about this often, but I come from a very low-income family and have never owned my own instrument. I almost broke down crying when I received the news that Professor Johnson had done this for me. I’m still careful when I play it. I want to do my best to do right by Katrinka and Aaron.”

“I think she’d be happy about the scholarship and the oboe donation,” Sizemore says. “As part of dealing with her mortality she became mindful of what really matters. Katrinka would appreciate Antwone having the oboe, and that the fund will affect a lot of people over time who may have missed the opportunity for education because they couldn’t afford it.”

The UMKC Foundation has received a $35,000 gift from the Jane & Jack Strandberg Charitable Foundation, Bank of America, N.A., Trustee, that will go to support ongoing research in the School of Pharmacy.

Charitable trusts are a prudent way for individuals to fulfil their philanthropic objectives. Because they are generally treated as a tax-exempt entity, a charitable trust would typically not pay tax to the extent of any ordinary or capital gain income.

For Mark Patterson, Ph.D., M.P.H. associate professor at the UMKC School of Pharmacy, the gift is a unique funding source to support his study of electronic health records systems used to monitor patients and their prescriptions during transitions of care between hospitals and nursing homes.

The gift will benefit community related health by helping address a patient safety issue that Patterson said needs to be investigated. Part of the funding will also go to employing two pharmacy students to assist in the project, providing them training in research skills as well.

“I just feel so fortunate to have found this unique funding path and the fact that it’s benefiting multiple aspects of the university,” he said.

Ingraham said the gift is unique in that it is private philanthropy supporting university research. Generally, it is federal and state agencies, research foundations and corporate research and development that provide financial support to university research.

Patterson’s project is an extension of a previous study he conducted looking at reducing medication discrepancies during patients’ transition of care between hospitals and nursing homes. That study exposed the issue of mismatched prescribing information during those transitions and the potential health risk those discrepancies pose to patients.

His latest work will look specifically at the electronic health records systems available to providers. Patterson said the interoperability of health information technology systems between providers must be as seamless as possible in order to obtain accurate patient prescribing information across the continuum of care.

“Electronic health records, and the electronic health care record systems that are available to these providers are a huge mitigating factor in regards to how accurate prescribing information is on a patient record that’s being shuttled back and forth between hospitals, primary care doctors, nursing homes and community pharmacies,” he said.

The study will involve speaking with focus groups and conducting one-on-one interviews with care providers in nine different nursing homes in Missouri and Kansas.

“We’re going to very specifically zone in on how the health IT infrastructure is interacting with that goal of safe prescribing,” Patterson said. “Between the focus groups and the one-on-one interviews with providers, we’re hoping to really do almost a needs assessment for these nursing homes.”

The University of Missouri-Kansas City is the No. 1 choice for 60 high school students and 50 current students who received Hispanic Development Fund scholarships for the next academic year.

The event recognizing the scholarship recipients was both informational and a celebration.

“Family and community support is encouraged at the event,” says Scott Ezzell, manager of admissions and recruitment for the Henry W. Bloch School of Management. “This support is such a critical part of the Hispanic Development Scholars’ success. HDF encourages family involvement in all aspects of their programming.”

The Hispanic Development Fund (HDF) awarded its first scholarships in 1984, providing $100 each to 100 students through a separately named Hispanic Scholarship Fund. This year, in partnership with local and regional higher education institutions, HDF awarded more than $1 million to 550 scholars.

UMKC hosted the scholars and their families at the Bloch School of Management for the first time in several years due to the pandemic. Students received detailed information about their opportunities and the partnering organizations, but one of the most important elements of the event was the opportunity for the students and their families to celebrate their success.

Gabriela Urrea is a sophomore pursuing her bachelor degree in nursing.

“The scholarship makes a difference. I’m able to worry less about tuition. Alleviating that burden helps me to stay focused on school,” she says.

Phillip St. John is a junior pursuing his degree in business administration.

“I’m in my third year and I’ve received this scholarship the entire time I’ve been at UMKC. It makes a huge difference and takes a lot of stress off of me and my parents.”

Erik Betancourt is a junior pursuing a degree in engineering.

“I wanted to stay close so I can continue to be a part of my community and family. The affordability makes that possible.”

Jazmin Romo (left) is a sophomore pursuing her degree in marketing. “Because of the scholarship I am able to study here and live in the dorm. It provides me an opportunity to really focus on school.”

Frida Rodriguez (middle) is pursuing degrees in business and theatre. “This last quarter they really worked with me to help afford school.”

Leslie Romo (right) is a sophomore pursuing her degree in business administration and marketing. “Bloch brings great opportunities. Brittany Bummer in Enactus has been very helpful.”

Daisy Garcia Montoya is a senior pursuing her masters in public administration. “The scholarship alleviates my worry about financial aid and allows me to focus on school and work full time. I’ve felt seen. If I ask for help, I receive it. It’s a whole different support system.”