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mara williams
on May 21 2013 - 06:00 AM
Summer break has this mom on a house upkeep war path.
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UMKC Commencement May 9, 2004
Basketball tournament season is here. There's all the yapping about KU, MU, K-State etc. etc. etc.
(We are Texas Longhorns fans, btw)
When I was 17, I applied to several colleges and universities. I was accepted to all of them, one of them was even willing to give me a volleyball scholarship. I received partial academic scholarships to most, but the one that won me over was UMKC.
Why did I want to be a Roo?
The choice was simple.
(Hope I don't sound like a commercial)
Around the time I was applying to colleges my sister passed away. There was no way I was going to leave town and forget about the love of my life, my now husband, Luke.
There was also no way I was going to pay a fortune for a piece of paper or the education I needed to be successful in life.
UMKC is a local tradition. The programs offered are diverse. The different types of classes that are required to graduate make you well-rounded and prepared. The commute is short. The cost is manageable.
I wanted more than a community college and less of a party town.
Sure the sports aren't on the Big 12 or SEC level, but what does that matter? UMKC athletics are still competitive and what I wouldn't give to go back in time and try to walk-on to the volleyball team.
The Volker campus has a positive vibe, it's expanding and has been updated since I graduated in 2004. It's good to see the school is successful and is continuing to grow.
My first three years I studied Computer Science at Flarsheim Hall. I was one year away from graduating with a degree in Information Technology. I ended up stopping the program and decided to follow my first love, art.
Bachelor of Arts, Studio Art/Emphasis in Graphic Design is my "official" degree earned.
As the first one to graduate from college in my family, I walked outta that place feeling a sense of pride and accomplishment. I did it! And I had no student loans weighing me down.
I have the same job as others who paid a lot more.
Just because UMKC is a local university, doesn't mean that people from around the world aren't flocking there. They do!
Campus life is abundant, but I personally wasn't interested in sororities or clubs.
I met lifelong friends along the way and even ventured into a program where I got to study abroad in Granada, Spain.
Did you know that:
- UMKC's mascot, "Kasey the Kangaroo," was originally drawn by Walt Disney?
- The University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC) is one of the nation's "Best Value" colleges and universities according to The Princeton Review.
- UMKC was ranked number one in the world for innovation management research by the Journal of Product Innovation Management
- UMKC was one of three colleges in the U.S to be presented the President’s Award for Community Service in Higher Education
- The Sierra Club named UMKC one of the country’s top 100 Green Campuses
- UMKC placed 5th on Newsweek’s Gay-Friendly College rankings
- Distinguished alumni include Florida Governor Rick Scott, Pulitzer prize winning cartoonist Mike Keefe, Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court Charles Evans Whittaker, actress Edie McClurg, Executive director of the Major League Baseball Players Association and National Hockey League Players Association Donald Fehr, and FBI Director Clarence M. Kelley.
If you have a child who's getting ready to graduate from high school, consider UMKC.
Kangaroos are actually pretty badass.
Not sure what Bo will do. Possibly something in Florida since we are moving there? Whatever he decides, I hope he follows his heart, his dreams and meets his goals, not mine or anyone else's.
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