NEJC Faces

Lighting some steel wool on fire and taking pictures of it in a field at night literally sparked Dylan Mitchell’s passion for photography. A senior at Shawnee Mission Northwest, Mitchell has been taking journalism and photojournalism classes for much...

An advocate for tenants’ rights, Tara Raghuveer established KC Tenants earlier this year to fight for safe, healthy and truly affordable homes for everyone in the metro. KC Tenants is a joint effort by many people who have been...

A maker by trade and teacher at heart, Steve Hess mentors Shawnee Mission high schoolers on the basics of good business practices and the importance of crafting and offering top-notch products and services. He hires them to help him...

A world champion in trickshot pool (sometimes called pocket billiards) and a baritone jazz singer by trade, Paul Gerni is traveling across the country and around the world, quietly promoting his two passions. He walked into Sharks Restaurant &...

The founder of Dot’s Homestyle Pretzels in Lenexa is in constant search of the “wow” factor, whether it’s a newly crafted pretzel flavor or a beautiful vista at the top of a mountain. Dot Henke started her pretzel business...

A 2010 graduate of SM Northwest, Pablo Muñoz is now executive chef of Tannin Wine Bar & Kitchen in Kansas City, Missouri. He spent a year in high school training at Broadmoor Bistro, the Shawnee Mission School District’s Center...

In his age group, 81-year-old Wilbur Jones is basically the second best tennis player in the world. Last month, he won second place in men’s doubles and mixed doubles at the tennis world championships in Croatia. He has already...

Even throughout her time fighting breast cancer, Molly Hammer hasn’t stopped singing. Even after the cancer took her voice for a short time. The jazz singer keeps a positive attitude, even though some days are harder than others. A...

A painter and clay sculptor by trade, Abby Morrison is a busy teenager running her own business, Umbrella Clay. The 14-year-old artist calls herself “a huge art fan” with not only making her creations but enjoying the work of...

Every corner of the Kansas City metro area has something different to offer. At least, that’s the way Alexander Vallar sees it. Originally from St. Louis and a Mizzou graduate, Vallar enjoys traveling the world and writing reviews about...

David Reed has a lifelong passion for round, colorful things, some big, some small. That includes his marble collection but it’s much harder to hide his hot air balloons. A hot air balloonist since 1984, Reed is probably most...

Alice Reim advocates for people like herself who live with disabilities. She also happens to be incredibly talented: She’s won a gold medal in both metro and statewide bowling at the Special Olympics. Reim was quite vocal during a...