Home to Super Bowl winners and Hollywood A-listers, Kansas City is no stranger to remarkable people. It’s not the major league stars, however, that give our city charm, but the everyday residents using their influence for good. Earlier this year, Synergy Service’s 36th annual Kindest Kansas Citian Awards gave area students an opportunity to highlight adults positively impacting our region. Selected from nearly 4,000 essay submissions, honorees were recognized by 13 students across the Metro, representing kindergarten through twelfth grade. The winners, ranging from jazz musicians to animal shelter volunteers, were celebrated Friday, April 17th, at Science City. While the good deeds of our Kindest Kansas Citians are invaluable, what sets them apart are their often overlooked impacts on Kansas City youth.
The Influence of our Honorees
Recent eighth-grade graduate of Oakhill Day School, Evie, admires Kim Shopper, her Volunteer Supervisor at Friends of Parkville Animal Shelter. Though she works full time at North Kansas City Hospital, Shopper serves at the shelter multiple days a week. “Mrs. Kim is someone I really look up to as a leader. I hope when I am older, I will be able to do as much for my community and the animals in it as she does. She inspires me to volunteer and help wherever I can,” Evie said.
(Submitted by Madison Tucker)
Kindest Kansas Citians push our students to do their best and serve community members well. June, a rising 5th grader at Nashua Elementary, seeks to emulate the perseverance and selflessness of Liz L. Bean. She owns REVILO – A Liz L. Bean Salon, near Parkville. Bean also serves our unhoused neighbors once a month by offering free haircuts through her mobile salon bus. Bean overcame addiction, houselessness, and a custody battle for her son: experiences that shaped her perspective and heart for helping people. Bean’s story and resilience inspire how June defines kindness. “I learned that kindness is not just about giving something it is about seeing people and caring about them,” June said.
(Submitted by Madison Tucker)
Another honoree intentionally caring for students is Alfred White, an instructor at Allen Village Charter School. White uniquely taught incoming tenth-grader Julian in two subjects, math and social studies. Whether students want to discuss homework or sports, White goes out of his way to create a safe and welcoming classroom space. “It’s teachers and individuals like him [White] that have a positive impact on your life, and I certainly won’t take the memories of him for granted,” Julian said.
(Submitted by Madison Tucker)
Since 1990, students like Julian have shared encouraging memories with our community through the Kindest Kansas Citian Awards. Though the 2026 class of Kindest Kansas Citians boasts a variety of professions and experiences, their impact is similar: making students feel seen and supported. 2027 Kindest Kansas Citian essay submissions will open August 1st and close December 31st. To learn more about the Kindest Kansas Citian Awards and how you or your child can get involved, visit https://www.synergyservices.org/events/kindest-kansas-citian/.
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