Identity, Focus, and the Road Ahead

If there’s one lesson these past three years have reinforced, it’s that bold, focused leadership makes all the difference. At Avila, we’ve learned to set audacious yet achievable goals — and then pursue them with relentless discipline.

But bold doesn’t mean chasing every opportunity. The most effective goals are simple, strategic, and focused on where the greatest impact lies.

Our leadership team recently read 10x Is Better Than 1x, a reminder that in a world of limited time and resources, success comes from focusing on the initiatives that offer transformational, exponential growth — and resisting the temptation to pour energy into projects that deliver only incremental, marginal gains.

That philosophy has shaped our approach. We’ve invested heavily in Arizona, international partnerships, and our Global Student Success initiatives because they carry the potential to redefine Avila’s future — not just nudge it forward.

Balancing Opportunity with Risk

We’ve also learned that even promising initiatives can carry risk — especially when we shoulder the entire burden alone.

Take Ridgway Hall — soon to be Buchanan Hall — as an example. It’s a vital project that will benefit our campus for years to come, but because Avila carried the full financial responsibility, the project’s million-dollar cost overruns strained our finances this year and served as a sobering reminder of how risk can quickly undermine good intentions.

That experience reinforced why we seek partnerships wherever possible. When we collaborate with others — in Arizona, Tunisia, or through other shared ventures — we magnify the upside while keeping the risk manageable. It’s a strategic balance: pursue the 10x opportunities, but do so in a way that protects the institution.

Surrounding Ourselves with Great People

None of this happens in isolation. Another lesson that’s become crystal clear: surround yourself with great people.

I remember my first year at Avila, barely comfortable leaving campus for a day, knowing how much of the daily load still fell on my shoulders. Today, that’s changed.

Leaders like Dr. Andy Jett, Dr. Tom Jandris, Dr. Bryan DePoy, Jody Mitchell, Abdul Amini, and Curtis Burton have built teams that allow me to step away, confident that the mission not only continues but thrives.

Our Board, under the steady guidance of outgoing Chair Tom Burns and incoming Chair Dr. Ibraheem Badejo, has been unwaveringly supportive while holding us to the highest standards.

And I would be remiss not to acknowledge the five Sisters of St. Joseph on our Board, whose presence, wisdom, and lived example of servant leadership ground this institution in its founding values.

Our faculty and staff — from Dr. Leslie Smith and Dr. Erin Holt, to our TRIO and advising teams, to Miss Ollie greeting students with her familiar smile — demonstrate daily that mission-driven leadership leaves no room for drama.

When you’re clear about who you are and why you’re here, distractions fall away.

Identity as Operational Strategy

That clarity — that unwavering sense of identity — has never mattered more.

Over a decade ago I participated in the Thrivent Fellows program and found mentors like Dr. Loren Anderson and Dr. Tom Cedel, both former university presidents. I was reminded by them that identity isn’t a tagline. It’s the lens through which every decision passes.

For Avila, that identity flows directly from the charism of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet.

It means serving the dear neighbor without distinction.
It means confronting economic and social inequality by expanding access to education.
It means modeling diversity and pluralism not as slogans, but as daily practices — in hiring, in leadership, in how we treat one another.

Matthew 18 calls us to right relationships — to resolve conflict with humility, to lead with compassion and accountability. At Avila, that’s not just scripture — it’s operational strategy.

Where We’re Headed

Where is Avila headed? The truth is, Kansas City is too small for the CSJ charism. And the need for what that charism represents has never been greater.

Rising inequality? We are there to provide access.
Rising tribalism? We offer a home where everyone belongs.

Our vision is bold but grounded: 10,000 students by decade’s end — through Arizona, international partnerships, and initiatives still unfolding. But enrollment is just a metric. The real measure is impact — lifting communities, expanding access, and living our mission on a global scale.

We do so, always, inspired by those who paved the way — courageous women like Mother St. John Fontbonne, imprisoned during the French Revolution yet unwavering in her faith.

The six Sisters who left everything behind to bring education and hope to the Americas.
The Sisters who marched with Dr. King in Selma, standing for justice.

And today, their modern-day counterparts — the Sisters of St. Joseph, our faculty, staff, alumni, and students — lifting up communities, modeling lives of service, and striving every day to be the hands and feet of Jesus to a world that desperately needs it.

This is Avila’s moment — bold, focused, grounded in identity, and propelled by the courage and wisdom of those who showed us the way.

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Part 3 of 4: Year Three — Growth Meets Reality, and the Horizon Expands

In my first year as President of şŁ˝ÇÖ±˛Ą, the question was whether we would survive. In the second year, the question became how far we could grow. In Year Three, growth became a reality — but so did the challenges that come with it.

A Breakthrough Year in Enrollment — and the Growing Pains That Followed

In Spring 2024, just two years into this remarkable journey, Avila crossed the 2,000-student mark for the first time. By every measure, we were positioned for a historic Fall 2024.

Our domestic partnerships were firing on all cylinders. Our enrollment team, our academic leaders, our global partners — the entire university was moving in unison toward an ambitious goal. After eighteen months of tireless international recruitment and partnership cultivation, Avila issued over 4,000 I-20s to incoming international students, expecting several hundred to join us in the fall.

The Villa Ventura housing project was coming online. Buchanan Hall (formerly Ridgway) was stripped to its bones, under full renovation. Dr. Andy Jett and his team were rapidly scaling the College for Innovative Professional and Graduate Studies to meet growing demand.

It all pointed to a breakout year.

But behind the scenes, storm clouds were gathering.

The Visa Challenge — and the Reality Check of Rapid Growth

Throughout the summer, troubling reports emerged: U.S. embassies abroad were overwhelmed. Students couldn’t get visa appointments — or worse, they secured appointments only to face inexplicable denials.

We weren’t alone; universities across the country were experiencing the same setbacks. But for Avila, with our rapidly expanding international pipeline, the impact was significant.

On campus, construction costs for Buchanan Hall began to climb far beyond expectations, leading to a temporary work stoppage. Thankfully, longtime Avila friend Dave Lovetere, along with Dave Walters and the team at MC Realty, stepped in to take control of the project. There were cost overruns, yes — but now, at least, the project was in capable hands.

Building Systems and Leadership for the Long Haul

Meanwhile, we were laying the organizational foundation to support our new scale:

• The Business Office, under Abdul Amini, implemented solid budgeting, PO systems, and financial controls — tools critical for managing growth.
• Rising leaders like Curtis Burton took on responsibility for Student Affairs, Facilities, Security, and Athletics, bringing energy and vision.
• In Academic Affairs, Dr. Bryan DePoy stepped in as Provost and Senior VP, bringing decades of experience, accreditation expertise, and a steady hand to lead our academic mission.
• Dr. Leslie Smith, as Dean of Arts & Sciences, and Dr. Paige Illum, leading student support, reinforced our commitment to academic quality and student success.

That fall, despite obstacles, Avila’s traditional undergraduate population had grown 25% in just three years — remarkable in a market battered by demographic shifts and federal financial aid failures.

Our total enrollment? 2,768 students.

By January 2025, we crossed 3,000 students, and at the 49th annual Steer Dinner, we celebrated reaching 3,100 students, making Avila the fastest-growing university in the region — and its most diverse.

A National and Global University Takes Shape

But Avila’s mission wasn’t confined to Kansas City.

Our new campus in Goodyear, Arizona, received full state and accreditor approval. Construction began, and our first Arizona students were expected to start in October.

We laid the groundwork for an international initiative in the United Arab Emirates, and our leadership team fanned out across the globe, building new partnerships to further Avila’s mission.

Nowhere was our identity clearer than in Kathmandu, Nepal, where Dr. Andrew Vogel launched a new student orientation model that combined enrollment with mission: prospective Avila students cleaned a polluted riverbed before even setting foot on campus. Before they arrive, they understand what it means to serve the “dear neighbor.”

Challenges on the Horizon — but Hope, Too

Yet, the landscape remains complex. Political changes in Washington, DC brought renewed uncertainty to higher education: heightened scrutiny of international students, tightening regulations, and a temporary freeze on student visa appointments.

But early summer brought signs of reopening — and with it, hope.

Meanwhile, our Board of Trustees approved Avila’s first surplus budget in recent memory, allocating millions to debt repayment and endowment replenishment. The university, for the first time in decades, was positioned to sustain its growth.

This July, we will celebrate the 375th anniversary of the Sisters of St. Joseph, a community whose mission to love the “dear neighbor” without distinction has endured centuries of expansion, risk, and reinvention.

Like them, Avila stands today in that tension — of risk and reward, of bold dreams and careful stewardship.

But our community now speaks openly of what was once unthinkable: a roadmap to 10,000 students — a vision no longer distant fantasy, but a strategic, achievable goal rooted in mission, values, and hard work.

In the final installment of this reflection series, I’ll share where we go from here — and why the best chapters of Avila’s story are still unwritten.

#AvilaUniversity #HigherEdLeadership #GlobalEducation #CatholicHigherEd #GrowthWithMission

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Part 2 of 4: Year Two — Growth, Growing Pains, and a New Spirit of Possibility

As I shared in Part One of this reflection series, my first year as şŁ˝ÇÖ±˛Ąâ€™s 15th President was a period of urgent triage — a university at the brink, and a team working tirelessly to pull it back. But Year Two? Year Two was something altogether different.

It was the year growth came to Avila.

Not quietly. Not without its challenges. But undeniably.

The Year Enrollment Returned — And Then Some

Fall 2023 marked a milestone in Avila’s history: we welcomed the largest incoming class in the university’s history — 501 new students, shattering our previous record of 325.

This wasn’t magic — it was the result of intentional, exhausting work by a lot of people, especially Josh Parisse, Avila alumnus, tireless recruiter, and the sharpest bow-tie on campus. Josh and his team rebuilt our enrollment operation from the ground up, combining old-fashioned relationship-building with new partnerships and strategies.

Our domestic partnerships also took root:

• KC Scholars, led by Natalie Lewis, provided nearly $20 million to fund up to 800 students from low-income communities over eight years.
• Our agreement with Metropolitan Community College (MCC), led by its transformative Chancellor, Dr. Kimberly Beatty, made transferring to Avila seamless, strengthening the bridge between Kansas City’s largest community college system and our Catholic university.
• We expanded outreach into regional high schools where Avila’s name had seldom been heard in recent years.

The results were clear. Fall 2023 enrollment climbed to 1,733 students, a number driven primarily by traditional undergraduates — but growth was happening across the board.

A Global University in the Making

Meanwhile, our international partnerships began to bear fruit:

• Global University Systems (GUS), especially through the leadership of David Fisher (InUni) and Pawan Srivastava (Get2Uni), helped bring our first few dozen international students to campus in Fall 2023. More arrived each term.
• We launched an innovative low-residency model in cities like Boston, Jersey City, Miami, Orlando, Dallas, Chicago, and Los Angeles, bringing Avila’s programs directly to the largest pockets of international students in the U.S. The response? Overwhelming.
• We planted our first overseas partnership at American University North Africa in Tunis, giving students there a pathway to earn an Avila degree. Similar partnerships followed in India and beyond.

This wasn’t just enrollment growth. It was mission-driven. Our strategic plan made it clear: serving the “dear neighbor” in higher education means creating access — to a Catholic education, to opportunity, to a future — especially for those who otherwise might not have it.

Renovating, Reimagining, Rebuilding

With growth came growing pains. Our campus was not built for rapid scale. Two of our four residence halls — Carondelet Hall and Ridgway Hall — hadn’t seen major updates in 50 to 60 years. Students noticed.

We made a bold decision: renovate or risk losing momentum.

Thanks to the generosity of the Mabee Foundation, Sunderland Foundation, and the leadership of Avila’s Board of Trustees, we launched a multimillion-dollar campaign to restore Ridgway Hall. A capstone gift from Bill and Jean Buchanan — reflecting their deep love for Avila and the Sisters of St. Joseph — helped get us across the finish line. By summer 2024, Ridgway Hall was stripped to its bones, a powerful symbol of where Avila stood: under construction, but full of promise.

We also secured an unexpected housing solution when Senior Star closed Villa Ventura, a senior living facility just a block from campus. A timely LinkedIn message led to a lease — and a new, immediate housing option for our growing student body.

National Aspirations Take Root

The year’s boldest idea? A partnership with GUS to explore building an Avila campus in Goodyear, Arizona. The City of Goodyear wanted a university to anchor its new city center — and we were invited to the table. It was a longshot, but as I traveled to London to meet with GUS founder Aaron Etingen, and as Dr. Tom Jandris led the project back home, that longshot started to look real.

Building Culture, Embedding Mission

Through it all, we stayed true to our culture and mission. Every freshman and transfer student continued to be welcomed to our home for dinner. Every student visiting campus was greeted by me or my wife, Hanen.

The message was clear: Avila isn’t just growing — it’s staying personal, accessible, and true to its mission.

That mission found powerful new expression through the expansion of the Buchanan Institute for Peace and Nonviolence, ensuring that the Avila experience isn’t defined by enrollment numbers alone — but by service, by values, and by the philosophies of peace that have guided the Sisters of St. Joseph for generations.

From Survival to Ambition

By Spring 2024, less than two years after we wondered if Avila could survive, we celebrated surpassing 2,000 students, exceeding our all-time enrollment high.

The conversation began to shift — from survival to ambition.

Could Avila serve not just Kansas City — but the nation? The world? Could a university with humble roots set its sights on 10,000 students and beyond?

We didn’t have all the answers. But after Year Two, for the first time in a long time, we could believe the future was ours to shape.

In Part Three of this series, I’ll share how Year Three brought new challenges, deeper partnerships, and unexpected tests of everything we had built.

#AvilaUniversity #GrowthMindset #HigherEdTransformation #CatholicHigherEd

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Part 1 of 4: Year One — A University at the Brink

Today marks three years since I began my tenure as the 15th President of şŁ˝ÇÖ±˛Ą. To mark the occasion, I want to share a series of reflections — not just on our accomplishments, but on the challenges, risks, and decisions that have defined this journey. This is the first in a four-part series, recounting the story of Avila’s transformation.

Year One: A University at the Brink

When I accepted the opportunity to lead şŁ˝ÇÖ±˛Ą in early 2022, I intended to officially begin on July 1. But as I began to peel back the layers, it became clear we didn’t have the luxury of time.

The institution’s challenges were far deeper than advertised. Instead of a modest deficit, Avila faced a $9 to $10 million shortfall. Enrollment had declined by nearly half over the previous decade — from 2,000 students to around 1,100. Deferred maintenance projects amounted to tens of millions of dollars. Morale was understandably fragile. The faculty and staff had endured a single 1% raise in ten years — and, in one year, a temporary 9.5% pay cut.

Frankly, there were real questions about whether Avila would survive.

Rather than waiting for July, I began immediately — March 2022 — knowing that if we were to have any chance of impacting the Fall 2022 and 2023 enrollment cycles, urgent action was required.

Moving Fast, Taking Risks

We didn’t waste time. I came to Avila with a philosophy, developed in prior institutions, rooted in high-reward/low-risk initiatives, and growth through partnerships. Private colleges and universities can do both, while largely converting expense to a variable basis, by working with partners — organizations often better-funded and with high degrees of specialization — which share revenue after students are enrolled by providing support services.

Within weeks, we brought in new partners that would form the backbone of Avila’s revitalization:

• Synergis Education to help rebuild and grow our Nursing programs.
• Academic Partnerships (now Risepoint) to drive growth in online education.
• Global University Systems, an international higher education organization headquartered in London, to help reintroduce Avila to the global stage.
• KTA, the K-12 Teacher’s Alliance, to help Avila build its graduate online programs in teacher education.

In Fall 2022, Avila had zero new international students. By Fall 2023, that changed significantly — a testament to the groundwork laid during those early, exhausting months.

Leadership Moves

We also made critical leadership moves. I was fortunate to bring in and elevate trusted, proven colleagues:

• Dr. Tom Jandris, a respected leader from the Concordia University System, to help strengthen our academic enterprise.
• Dr. Andy Jett, already part of the Avila family, was empowered to build what would become the College for Innovative Professional and Graduate Studies.
• Dr. Stacy Keith, longtime professor in Education, whose experience, strong work ethic, empathy, and personal integrity brought needed stability to the office of Provost.

We made necessary organizational and personnel changes — but we were careful to minimize the human toll. The Avila community had already sacrificed enough.

A New Vision and Plan

Perhaps most importantly, we launched an inclusive, transparent strategic planning process. Led by distinguished alumna Ellen Barnes, this effort engaged faculty, staff, students, alumni, and the Board of Trustees.

By summer 2023, the Board adopted a plan built on five pillars:

1. Grow Enrollment
2. Strengthen Finances and Profitability
3. Innovate in şŁ˝ÇÖ±˛Ą
4. Care for Our People
5. Lean Into Our Catholic and CSJ Identity

We made our values visible. Every freshman and transfer student was invited to our home for dinner. We ensured every student who visited campus was greeted personally by me or my wife, Hanen.

And we began a new tradition of radical transparency: the week following each Board meeting we held a town hall where we shared everything we could from the prior week’s Board meeting — and stayed to answer every question.

Difficult Decisions, Bold Moves

But even with early momentum, the realities of our financial situation forced difficult choices. To cover immediate cash gaps and invest in the programs and partnerships Avila desperately needed, the Board approved a bold, unprecedented step: working with the State of Missouri to access portions of our small, restricted endowment.

The State approved our proposal — a lifeline that bought us breathing room, though not without its share of controversy.

A Year of Risk and Resolve

The first year was as exhausting as it was exhilarating. Every decision carried risk. But by the end of that first year, hope had returned to Avila.

We weren’t out of the woods — but we had turned toward the future.

In Part Two of this series, I’ll share how we turned that fragile momentum into real, measurable progress in Year Two.

#AvilaUniversity #LeadershipReflections #HigherEdTransformation

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This approach goes beyond traditional educational boundaries, striving to provide personalized support, inclusive opportunities, and innovative resources that cater to the distinct needs of each individual. And our commitment to Education Without Limits has earned us great media coverage this summer.

• Tuniscope (news outlet in Tunisia): (6/19/24)
• MSN.com: (6/24/24)

Our emphasis on broadening horizons helped students embark across the globe this summer to attend our first Summer Innovation Camp in Tunisia, through a partnership with the University of Carthage, the Cité des Sciences de Tunis, Amideast, the United States Embassy in Tunis and AmCham.

“This first-of-its-kind event is a unique opportunity for students to listen to world-renowned speakers, meet industry leaders and explore cutting-edge topics,” said Jim Burkee, PhD, president of şŁ˝ÇÖ±˛Ą. “We are delighted to receive such strong support through our partnerships with these renowned organizations and we are confident that this will be an unforgettable experience for many of the participants.”

The five-day program included interactive seminars and discussions, with students and professionals learning from U.S. business leaders and academics. Students earned a certificate and college credit.

Closer to home, Avila is making headlines for bringing our core values to life through a focus on access and inclusion, all of which is resulting in record enrollment on campus and around the world.

• KSHB 41 (local NBC affiliate):

“That culture and atmosphere of belonging has really drawn students from Kansas City, low-income communities, people from diverse backgrounds, immigrant communities, and even students from overseas,” Dr. Burkee told a reporter from KSHB 41, Kansas City’s local NBC affiliate.

The story highlighted several areas where Avila is seeing success recently – including new programs in STEM fields and digital media and our new SwiftPace three-year degree program – and our efforts to expand our housing options for students on campus.

Whether here on campus in Kansas City or across the ocean in Tunisia, we are dedicated to removing barriers and empowering every student to reach their full potential. At Avila, Education Without Limits is not just a motto but a lived experience that shapes our community.

şŁ˝ÇÖ±˛Ą became the first university in the United States to sign a comprehensive, multi-university agreement with the government of Algeria. Ten universities commit to exchange and cooperation – and to offering access to education, an American degree, to students in Algeria.

“Kansas City’s private university of access is now also Algeria’s American private university of access. Thanks to the Honorable Ambassador Mohamed Haneche for facilitating our visit, and to my new friend Tahar Sahraoui for the hospitality of the Algerian Ministry of Education and Scientific Research,”  said Avila President Jim Burkee, Ph.D.

The second agreement was signed with AUNA – The American University in North of Africa, with Hassouna Fedhila, founder and president. They also toured the 100-acre site of AUNA’s new campus in Utica, the historic Phoenician city north of Tunis, and the site of a historic battle between Carthaginian and Roman armies in 203 BC. 

The third agreement was signed with the President of UniversitĂ© de CARTHAGE in Tuis, Nadia Mzoughi Aguir. “Expect big things from this relationship – for students in Tunisia, for American students seeking study abroad, and for access to education in Africa and around the world,” said Burkee. “Thanks also for the strong support from Malek Kochlef, director general of the ministry of international cooperation in Tunisia, for the strong support!”

“We’re eager to bring access to education – and an American degree – to students in Algeria and Tunisia,” said Burkee.

# # #

About AUNA

The American University in North of Africa is the first Tunisian private university that applies the American educational Methodology and pedagogical approach. AUNA School of Business offers high education standards in the business field studies of Finance, Accounting, Management, and Marketing for both Graduate and Undergraduate levels. Their vision is to create and sustain the conditions and resources for all AUNA students to experience an outstanding educational journey that is intellectually and personally transformative. 

About Université de CARTHAGE

The University of Carthage (UCAR), founded in 1988, is a Tunisian public training and research establishment which is placed under the supervision of the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research.

UCAR, through its various institutions, is a multidisciplinary university that issues 289 diplomas at the various levels of training, namely the preparatory cycles for engineering studies and the Aggregation, Licenses (75), Masters of Research (57), Professional Masters (69), National Engineering Diplomas (48), National Audiovisual Diplomas (01) and Doctorates (40).

A recent found that the nation’s hospitals’ turnover rate for nurses averaging 25.9%, and RN turnover rates topped those of hospitals for the first time in the survey’s history. With hospital vacancy rates at all-time highs, programs like Avila’s BSN are more critical than ever. 

While interest in nursing programs remains high across the country, the American Association of Colleges of Nursing says that nationally more than 80,000 qualified applicants were turned away by colleges and universities due to shortages of clinical sites, faculty, and other resources. 

That’s not the situation at şŁ˝ÇÖ±˛Ą. Depending on their college background, Avila’s new students can earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) in as few as 16 months of full-time study. The program prepares graduates to sit for the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) and be well-positioned to pursue healthcare careers.

Programs like Avila’s also address the growing demand for flexibility and accessibility provided by in-person and online classes. Avila retains its 70+ year commitment to personal engagement and high-touch experiential learning throughout every nursing program. Students can expect to receive the benefits of private education at an affordable price and with the flexibility they need.

 â€śThe shortage of nurses in Missouri is a real and immediate problem. Being able to provide an additional path to a BSN at this time is more important than ever. The ABSN track is a true fit with Avila’s mission to service and accessibility,” said Chair of Avila’s School of Nursing Angela Yanez, DPN, RN, CHSE.

Applications for the accelerated BSN will be accepted beginning January 17, 2023, and the first cohort begins their Avila journey in August. Avila students gain a strong foundation in health science knowledge that prepares them to care for patients, including skills for treating diverse conditions and patient populations, leadership competencies, and educating patients on healthier living.

For more information or to apply for these programs, please visit .

“We are very excited to welcome Derrick back to şŁ˝ÇÖ±˛Ą as our head football coach,” şŁ˝ÇÖ±˛Ą Director of Athletics Shawn Summe said.  “Derrick has the personality, work ethic, and football knowledge to continue to grow our football program, but more importantly is committed to helping our football players grow off the field as much as on the field. Derrick really impressed everyone he spent time with at Avila with his genuine approach to coaching and leading young men.”

“I am ecstatic about the opportunity to be a head coach,” Alexander said. “I have so many things that I want to do, but I know it’s going to take time. I am ready to get to work!” 

A , Alexander was selected in the first round of the 1994 National Football League draft by the Cleveland Browns. He spent a decade in the highest level of professional football, including four seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs. 

In 2000, Alexander was awarded the team’s Derrick Thomas Most Valuable Player Award and nominated for the NFL’s prestigious Walter Payton Man of the Year Award. During his first two seasons with the Chiefs, he formed the “Derrick Alexander Foundation” supporting Solace House, and raised more than $100,000 through his “Catch and Care” program.

Even after the conclusion of his playing career, Alexander has stayed closely connected to Kansas City, where his family has resided for more than two decades. Alexander has been part of the since 2009 and was selected for the NFL’s Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellowship for three straight years, which enabled him to ply his trade as an assistant coach during training camp.

Alexander joined the coaching staff at şŁ˝ÇÖ±˛Ą in 2016 as an assistant coach and pass game coordinator. In his three seasons at Avila, he also served as the wide receivers coach, academic coordinator, and director of football operations.

Alexander returns to Avila after spending the 2022 season at Wayne State University in his hometown of Detroit, following three seasons at NCAA Division I Morgan State University in Baltimore. Alexander takes over an Avila football program that has won two KCAC championships in three seasons and, in 2022, won a program record of ten games, qualifying for the NAIA Football Championship Series for the first time in team history.

“In my final season as an assistant at Avila, we were 7-3, which was the best record in school history (at the time). I am fortunate to be taking over a team that has just won the conference and made its first playoff appearance. I am looking forward to keeping the momentum going,” Alexander said. 

Avila football will begin the Alexander era on August 26, 2023, against Bethany College before their first home game on September 2, 2023.

For more information: Sports Information Director Tim Hackett (timothy.hackett@avila.edu/919-333-7072).

“Economically disadvantaged students are less likely than others to finish college, even when controlling for other characteristics. But some colleges are more successful than others at advancing social mobility by enrolling and graduating large proportions of disadvantaged students awarded with Pell Grants” (U.S. News & World Report).

“Although social mobility can be defined in many ways, it is most often quantitatively measured through economic mobility,” said Avila Director of Institutional Effectiveness Craig Haile, Ph.D. 

Student success has an immediate and generational impact on students’ lives, their families, and the KC region.

“Avila provides degree and certificate programs that are in high demand and needed in the KC community; thus, our graduates are able to secure jobs and advance their careers with the skills and credentials they receive at Avila,” said Haile. Recent enrollment partnerships with KC Scholars, InUni, Academic Partnership (AP), and K-12 Teachers Alliance came into reality because of the shared value of providing greater access to a college degree. These commitments to providing students with a path to success help solidify Avila as Kansas City’s university of access. 

“Avila’s focus on being the university of access means that the institution is committed to reaching students for whom a college education can have the greatest impact,” said Haile. “Avila provides access and support for determined students with tremendous potential. Having these students succeed will have immediate and long-term effects on their lives, the lives of their families, and on the KC region as a whole for multiple generations, as research has shown that educational advantage is persistent to future generations.”&˛Ô˛ú˛ő±č;

Leveling the post-graduation playing field

echoes the importance a college degree can have on social mobility, “A new study, based on millions of anonymous tax records, shows that some colleges are even more economically segregated than previously understood, while others are associated with income mobility.”&˛Ô˛ú˛ő±č;

This study ranked several universities on economic diversity and student outcomes. When compared to its peers, şŁ˝ÇÖ±˛Ą ranked 9th out of 56 colleges in Missouri as median individual income [of graduates] at age 34, and 22nd out of 56 colleges in Missouri on the overall mobility index [of graduates]. “This measure reflects both access and outcomes, representing the likelihood that a student from Avila moved up two or more income quintiles.”

“A survey of recent graduates (academic year 2019-20 and 2020-21) showed that even in the midst of the pandemic that over 95% of our graduates had a “positive career outcome” in the first six months post-graduation as defined by the National Association of Colleges and Employers, meaning they were employed or enrolled in graduate school. Over 85% felt they were doing as well or better economically than their parents at the same age, and over 85% felt they would do as well or better economically in the long run,” said Haile.

When looking at the positive economic impact of its degrees, şŁ˝ÇÖ±˛Ą is one of the best universities in the country for social mobility. By providing access and support for students, Avila’s commitment to opportunity and student success means its graduates are more likely to improve their economic standing.  “Interestingly, there was no significant difference in average starting graduate salary regardless of their family household income bracket, indicating that our graduates born into families at the bottom of the income distribution are able to be on a level playing field with wealthier peers,” said Haile.

• #15 / 116lbs.  , 
• #17 / 109lbs.  
• #19 / 184lbs.  

In addition, the łľ±đ˛Ô’s and wołľ±đ˛Ô’s teams received in the NAIA rankings as the Eagles prepare for their second season.

Avila head coach Graham Karwath begins his second season with the vast majority of the athletes who finished fifth at the KCAC Championships, including all seven conference placers from last winter: , , , , , , and .

“I’m really just blessed to be part of a program at a school like Avila, which has been supportive of our program,” Karwath said at KCAC Men’s Wrestling Virtual Media Day. “Now we get to implement some things. We have some returners that know the ropes. It’s good. Hopefully, we can become a well-oiled machine here and continue to build on the little things that we’re doing and do things the right way.”

Karwath highlighted a pair of newcomers as probable impact contributors in the middleweights for Avila this year at Media Day. Grain Valley, Missouri native enters his first year as an Eagle after qualifying for Nationals twice at Neosho County Community College. Two-time Missouri high school state champion joins the Eagles after starting his college career at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M.

National-ranked Daryus Webb was Avila’s lone preseason-ranked wrestler last year, helping the team get on the national map before they even took the mat in their inaugural season. Webb didn’t get the opportunity to wrestle much in his first season in Kansas City, but his pedigree and track record from his days at Williams Baptist University, plus the potential he’s shown as an Eagle, helped him earn the #19 ranking at 184 heading into 2022.

On the women’s side, several key returners are back, but there are many new faces for Associate Head Coach Zach Revier, who is also the director of the women’s program. Former Arkansas state champ headlines a freshman class that also includes , , and .

“Collectively, they’ve all taken really great strides this year,” Revier said at KCAC Women’s Wrestling Virtual Media Day this week. “The girls are working really hard, both on and off the mat. I believe they all have the ability to do well in all areas here at şŁ˝ÇÖ±˛Ą.”

National-ranked Zoey Mzeru and Markayla Lottie, are the team’s top two returners. Mzeru placed fourth at the KCAC conference in March and now enters the 2022 season with a national ranking of #17 at 109.

Lottie had an outstanding freshman campaign, winning MVP accolades from the team and Freshman of the Year honors from the department. She was the first Eagle to win KCAC Wrestler of the Week twice; was the first to defeat a wrestler in the Top 15; was the first to win an open tournament, and was the first to win a pair of matches at Nationals in March. Lottie enters the 2022 season ranked #15 in the nation at 116. Jessica Miller and also return to Avila, with Mondragon being one of the three Eagles to win a match at Nationals last year.