Category: KCKCC

KCKCC joins with Kauffman Foundation for entrepreneurial program

by Kelly Rogge

Kansas City Kansas Community College is inviting the community to “connect” through the college’s new Entrepreneurship Certificate of Completion.

Partnering with the Kauffman Foundation and the Entrepreneurial Learning Initiative, KCKCC is offering the new for-credit Entrepreneurship Certificate of Completion utilizing curriculum from Kauffman’s FastTrac Planning the Entrepreneurial Venture and Ice House -The Entrepreneurial Mindset.

“A partnership with the Kauffman Foundation is important because when it comes to entrepreneurship and education, the foundation is noted throughout the world,” said Marvin Hunt, dean of Business and Continuing Education at KCKCC. “They just happen to be in Kansas City. The college will benefit through this partnership by participating in their programming, such as their Million Cups events, using their FastTrac curriculum and other supports.”

This kickoff event is from 4:30 to 6 p.m. Aug. 5 in the Upper Level of the Jewell Student Center on the KCKCC campus, 7250 State Ave.

Representatives from the Kauffman Foundation and the Entrepreneurial Learning Initiative will be on hand to discuss their innovative entrepreneurial programs. In addition, Kauffman FastTrac graduates will be available to share their experiences and entrepreneurial pathways toward success and local entrepreneurs will be available to talk with those who are interested on an individual basis.

“The Kauffman Foundation has been a key driver in the development and implementation of entrepreneurship training and research for over 20 years,” said Karen Gaines, coordinator of the marketing program and instructor of business courses at KCKCC. “The foundation has wanted our school to be involved with their programming, especially with them being in our backyard. The timing is right and to be a part of this network of institutions offering their quality programming is a benefit to the school.”

Hunt said KCKCC has had a long-standing partnership with the Kauffman Foundation through several events including the annual Innovation Summit, in which their leadership has provided keynote addresses. He said as KCKCC learned more about their academic programming, using their curriculum seemed like a natural fit.

“It is quite significant that KCKCC was invited, by Kauffman, to be a part of the Slingshot Network, which is a national network of the most entrepreneurial community colleges in the United States,” he said. “High quality education is key. It will be important for KCKCC students to learn about entrepreneurship by using the highest quality and most current curriculum. Our affiliation in the Slingshot Network also brings recognition to KCKCC as a progressive and entrepreneurially-minded community college. President (Doris) Givens always states that Kansas City Kansas Community College is the most progressive, forward thinking, forward moving, entrepreneurial community college in the entire state of Kansas. Success begets success. We have been successful in gaining a reputation in entrepreneurship, but I am not satisfied stopping there. We need to better engage students in entrepreneurship and help our community grow new entrepreneurs at a faster rate. This builds wealth in the community and for individuals.”

For information about the Entrepreneurship Certificate of Completion or the kickoff event, contact Gaines at [email protected].

Kelly Rogge is the public information supervisor at Kansas City Kansas Community College.

Candidate forum to be held at KCKCC

Kansas City Kansas Community College will play host to a candidate forum on Wednesday.

The forum will be from 6 to 9 p.m. July 30 in Room 2325 in Upper Jewell on the main KCKCC campus, 7250 State Ave. Candidates who will be on the primary election ballot in August have been invited to attend. There are several sponsors of the candidate forum.

Those candidates who have been invited include Republicans, Sen. Pat Roberts, D.J. Smith, Milton Wolf and Alvin Zahnter and Democrats Chad Taylor and Patrick Wiesner, who are all vying for a U.S. Senate seat; Democrats Kelly Kultala and Reggie Marselus, U.S. Representative, Third District; Gov. Sam Brownback and Jennifer Winn, Republicans, Kansas Governor; Republicans Kris Kobach and Scott Morgan, Secretary of State; Republicans Beverly Gossage, David Powell, Ken Selzer, Clark Shultz and John Toplikar, Insurance Commissioner; and Democrats Tim Dupree, Courtney Mikesic and Jim Yoakum, 29th District Judge, Position 11.

Each candidate will be allowed a three-minute opening statement and a two-minute closing statement. Moderators from various sponsoring organizations will ask candidates questions about relevant issues.

Sponsoring organizations include KCKCC, Business West, the Kansas City, Kansas Chamber of Commerce, The Central Avenue Betterment Association, the Historic Northeast Mid-town Association, Downtown Shareholders, Rosedale Development Association, Fairfax Industrial Association and the Kansas City Press Club.
– Story from KCKCC

New KCKCC athletic trainer has college, pro experience

Kinsey Mascorro (KCKCC photo)

by Alan Hoskins

Texas native Kinsey Mascorro worked an athletic trainer internship at Kansas City Kansas Community College last summer and liked it so much, she’s back as a fulltime athletic trainer.

Mascorro brings experience at both the collegiate and professional levels in joining KCKCC’s award-winning staff of head trainer Rodney Christensen and Ryan Arens.

“I did an internship with Rodney Christensen last summer and really liked it,” said Mascorro, 23. “Coming from east Texas where it’s flat, windy and hot, it’s really nice to have hills and green trees. I really learned a lot working with Rodney. He and Ryan taught me a lot in the short time I was here.”

Mascorro came to KCKCC last August after working a month-long internship with the Los Angeles Sparks of the WNBA (Women’s National Basketball Assn.) in July.

“It was real cool, being at courtside watching players like Candace Parker,” said Mascorro.

A 2012 graduate of Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Mascorro holds a bachelor’s degree in Exercise and Sports Science and a Masters in Athletic Training earned this past May at the Texas Tech Health Science Center. During her undergraduate days, she was a student athletic trainer for two years, working mainly with the Texas Tech women’s basketball, football and track teams.

Before joining the KCKCC staff, Mascorro worked as a contract athletic trainer in Lubbock. Growing in the small east Texas town, she started taking college classes while attending LaPoyner High School from where she graduated in 2009.