University of Missouri-Kansas city

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.

Christian Anderaos BHS '19, MPA '23

Christian Anderaos is from São Paulo, Brazil, and is a professional MASL indoor soccer player for the Kansas City Comets. Chris has a bachelor’s degree in Health Science with a minor in Exercise Science, and a master’s degree in Public Administration at University of Missouri - Kansas City. Christian also owns a business called Soccer Fitness which includes a variety of services related to health, wellness and sports performance for adults and kids.

Fun fact about Chris:
Christian can speak three languages fluently, English, Spanish, and Portuguese, and he has traveled to more than 20 countries around the world.

Jazmin Richardson BSN '16, MSN

Jazmin Richardson graduated from UMKC’s SONHS with her BSN in 2016. Jazmin also holds a MSN in Executive Nurse Administration from University of South Alabama. Jazmin has three specialty nursing certifications in Nurse Professional Development, Progressive Care Nursing, and Critical Care Nursing. Jazmin will also be graduating with her DNP in December 2024 from University of South Alabama. 

Jazmin currently works as a Nursing Executive with SONIFI Health, a healthcare technology company and as an Adjunct Clinical Instructor with Georgia Baptist College of Nursing located in Atlanta, Georgia. Jazmin is passionate about developing and maintaining health career pipeline programs and creating pathways for aspiring healthcare professionals.

Reagan Todd BHS '22

"I’m a first-generation college student who began my journey in 2018 wanting to attend nursing school. After working with nurses and realizing that wasn't fully aligned with what I wanted, I transitioned to the PA coursework. However, as I continued my studies and neared graduation for my BHS, I found myself more drawn to research—specifically exploring the impact of patient outcomes and health disparities from behind the scenes.
After earning my BHS, I decided to pursue a Master’s in Bioinformatics at UMKC with an emphasis in clinical research. Now, I’m in the process of preparing my application for the PhD program to continue advancing in the research field.
My advice to undergraduates or those considering coming to UMKC is that it’s okay to change your mind. Explore different paths, take the time to discover what excites you, and never stop learning. Education is a journey, and sometimes the path you think you’ll take isn’t the one that ends up being the most fulfilling."

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."