Grace Yu, a spring 2020 Park Hill High School graduate, has been named a University of Missouri-Kansas City Trustees’ Scholar.
When Yu begins accounting studies at UMKC in the fall, she will receive a scholarship valued at $60,000 over four years. Her award is supported by the UMKC Board of Trustees, the founder of the scholarship program.
Yu was a section leader in the marching band and as co-captain, led her team to the Varsity Tennis Co-Conference Championship title in 2019. Yu was an AP Scholar of Distinction at Park Hill High School and also graduated in 2017 from the Chinese School of Greater Kansas City where she placed first in a speech competition. In 2016, Yu’s piano performance earned high marks at the MSHSAA District Solo and Ensemble Festival and allowed her to advance to the state festival where she received the highest rating.
Yu served on the leadership committee for the Trojan Mentors program at Park Hill, as a teaching assistant at the Chinese School of Greater Kansas City and traveled with the Youth Summer Mission Project to host Vacation Bible School on a Native American reservation in Arizona. Recently, she organized a book drive for Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City where she collected and donated 159 books for children in need.
In the essay submitted to the Trustees’ Scholars selection committee, Yu shared her career goals.
“I plan to pursue a master’s degree in accounting to become a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), followed by a Juris Doctorate degree to become a tax attorney. My interest in both these fields comes from how much I enjoy maximizing the use of my money, in my case, to contribute to a greater cause.”
The Trustees’ Scholarship provides educational fees and on-campus room and board for the first two years. In the third and fourth years, the package provides educational fees and $2,000 for room and board. Each Trustees’ Scholar also receives $500 toward books each year.
To qualify as Trustees’ Scholars, students must meet at least two of the following three criteria: score a minimum ACT Composite of 30, rank in the top five percent of the graduating class, or have a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or more in a 17-class core curriculum. Trustees’ Scholars must enroll full-time, be seeking an undergraduate degree and commit to living on campus for the first two years.
The UMKC Trustees’ Scholars Program is unique in that it aligns students closely with corporate sponsors, who give students access to their professional knowledge and experience, insight into the inner workings of the company or institution they represent, and a strong mentor relationship throughout the college experience. Students have opportunities to network and find internships or jobs through the Trustees and their connections in the community.
The UMKC Board of Trustees is a non-profit organization established by civic and community leaders to support the University. Members advocate on the University's behalf, provide community feedback and forge partnerships to help the University achieve its strategic priorities and financial objectives.