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Jacob Sumner BSN '22, SoNHS Alumni Association Board President

"After attaining my BSN, I was confident sitting for and passing the NCLEX shortly after graduation. This allowed me to pursue my career goal of practicing as a critical care nurse in the city I love. I've since been able to become more involved within the hospital organization by serving on various councils and leadership roles. I've also recently started to serve and give back to UMKC as the SoNHS Alumni Association Board President. I find this role very fulfilling and is such a unique opportunity to give back."

Shweta Palakkode BHS '15

"The Bachelor of Health Sciences (BHS) program is versatile; I was exposed to a broad range of concepts that impacted healthcare delivery, which included learning about policies in the public sector, leadership, project management, and clinical care. The program helped me find internships with the City Health Department and local non-profits. These internships helped me springboard into my roles and education post-graduation. My advisor and professors were incredible during that time. They were embracing and ignited curiosity in me to pursue further in public health. I was in the first batch to graduate from the BHS program, and I am grateful to UMKC for playing a pivotal role in shaping my career path."

Grace Simmons BSN '08, MSN AGNP '12

"I serve as adjunct faculty for the UMKC School of Nursing, have published 3 books and own a successful coaching business. My future goals include expanding my coaching and speaking business, where I get to share my passion for holistic well-being by empowering women to prioritize self-care by embracing their inner strength. My passion for holistic health was born out of my nursing education where we were trained to look at the whole person and anticipate what health issues could arise and begin to address them, before they started; this preventative, whole-person health concept was the basic foundation my nursing education and continues to be the cornerstone for everything I do."

Bryce Miller BHS '18

"I currently work as Arizona Territory Manager for Cardiac Insight, a home cardiac monitoring company based out of Seattle. I educate physicians and clinic staff on the clinical benefits of early heart arrhythmia detection with EKG devices.
We all know how important preventative care and the early detection of health issues can be for people of all ages, backgrounds and economic status. I learned this early in my education at UMKC while working on my health science degree, so it’s all come full circle!
After 3 years of work in research at Children’s Mercy, I didn’t think I’d be on the other side of the country working in a new industry, but here we are! The clinical experience and education I gained in Kansas City equipped me well for this step into the medical sales industry."

Alauna Christian BSN '19

Alauna Christian, BSN, RN, graduated from UMKC with her BSN degree in 2019. At UMKC, she was presented with the Leadership in Nursing award for her endless efforts in student engagement and diversity inclusion. During her time at UMKC, she developed the skill of leadership, which fueled her career aspirations for the mental health community.
Ms. Christian is also the Founder/CEO of the non-profit organization, Mindful Mountain Inc., established in 2020 whose mission is to decrease the stigma associated with mental health, specifically within the minority populations. Ultimately in the future, Ms. Christian hopes to establish a team of interprofessional mental health providers to integrate care in underserved communities.

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Nursing and Health Studies

Nursing and Health Studies

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98.3%

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1,147

Total Enrollment

15%

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Meet Our Alumni

Jacob Sumner BSN '22, SoNHS Alumni Association Board President

Shweta Palakkode BHS '15

Grace Simmons BSN '08, MSN AGNP '12

Bryce Miller BHS '18

Alauna Christian BSN '19

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