During the third annual Martin Luther King Chancellor’s luncheon, 18 year old MCC student Chebet Buckner was awarded the 2017 Chancellor’s Scholarship
The event was designed to give Metropolitan Community College employees in the greater Kansas City area time to focus and reflect on Dr. King’s legacy.
Keynote speaker for the Chancellor’s Martin Luther King Jr. Luncheon was Alonzo Jones, associate athletic director at Arizona State University. Jones, in presenting some biographical tidbits about King, urged educators not to deify the civil rights leader but to portray him as a human being, flaws and all, with whom students can identify.
The vision for this initiative was developed by Kathy Walter-Mack, the MCC chief of staff. The event was sponsored by the Chancellor’s Office and planned by Robert Page, the executive director of inclusion and engagement. This year’s event was also sponsored by the KU Edwards Campus and KU Medical Center.
Chebet Buckner, student at MCC and Kansas City Public Schools’ Lincoln College Preparatory Academy, will receive both her high school diploma and an MCC associate degree in May. The “wonderfully impassioned” and “highly gifted” Early College Program student just turned 18.
After being presented the award by MCC Chancellor Mark James, an emotional Buckner said the MCC-Penn Valley campus has been her home for the past two years.
At MCC-Penn Valley, Buckner is president of the Phi Theta Kappa honor society — another unusual feat for a high school student.
Her list of honors includes the Spirit of Activism Award presented by the Urban League of Greater Kansas City for taking part in a peaceful protest against police brutality. She was also inducted into the National Honor Society at Lincoln.
In her essay for the MLK scholarship, Buckner writes that one injustice she has observed is a lack of mentors: “A mentor can often times be the difference between someone reaching their goal or throwing it away. I hope to one day use my skills and experiences to help a young adult navigate the various decisions and issues that will occur during their lifetime.”
Kathy Walter-Mack 