The Power of Every Donation
Donations come in many forms, but they are all integral to fostering a culture of excellence.
By: Kaitlin West
Pay it forward, honor a loved one, support others in your circumstances. There are countless reasons people choose to be philanthropic, and the donors who support UMKC School of Law are no different. No matter the reason or amount someone chooses to give, the result is the same: law students are supported and impacted in ways that ripple out into the community.
Read on for three stories that demonstrate the power of giving at the law school.
Paying It Forward: Kent and Judy Whittaker
“When you have someone sitting across the table from you and they hire you to solve their problem, it makes a world of difference," said Kent Whittaker. "You’re responsible for something. I took that seriously, and it made me. This profession made my life, and I wanted to say thanks.”
Kent Whittaker’s gratefulness will impact generations of UMKC Law students. A $3.5 million gift from Whittaker and his late wife, Judy (J.D. ’63), is the largest in the history of UMKC School of Law. This endowed estate gift reflects the family’s desire to impact the community and increase wellbeing through education. Their gift will support student scholarships, building improvements and areas of greatest need.
The Whittaker family’s history with the law school goes back more than a century. Kent’s father, Charles Whittaker, graduated from the Kansas City School of Law — now the UMKC School of Law — in 1924. Charles Whittaker was a U.S. Supreme Court justice; he was nominated by President Eisenhower and served from 1957 to 1962. He loved his work, especially as a lawyer, and his passion made an impression on Kent Whittaker.
“I talked through cases with my father often. He was just consumed by them,” Whittaker said. “I always knew I was going to be a lawyer. I never considered anything else.”
Whittaker met Judy while he was a law student at the University of Michigan. After he graduated, they moved to Kansas City. He got a job, and she continued her law school journey at the UMKC School of Law. She graduated as valedictorian of her class.
They both had long, successful careers as attorneys in Kansas City. Kent Whittaker’s career was in private practice, including more than 40 years with Hillix Brewer and its successors. Judy Whittaker spent 30 years at Hallmark, including several years as general counsel. She worked on many projects that led the company to where it is today, such as leasing within the newly built Crown Center, the acquisition of Crayola, purchase of the Spanish International Network (now Univision) television station, numerous patents and more.
These careers led to an early decision to pay it forward.
“We were both fantastically lucky in our jobs and loved being attorneys,” Kent Whittaker said. “We decided halfway through our working years that if we were able, we wanted to dedicate part of our estate to making a difference in the community. We want to help reduce human suffering and support education, and that’s what we’re doing with this gift.”
Kent and Judy (J.D. ’63) Whittaker
Top: Eric Honea (J.D. ’22) and his son, Christian.
Bottom: Christian Honea in his U.S. Marine Corps uniform.
Honoring His Son: Eric Honea
Eric Honea (J.D. ’22) refers to his son, Christian, as being an “unknowing advocate.” Christian took on leadership roles, encouraged others and was always willing to give help or advice. He joined the United States Marine Corps after high school, following in his father’s footsteps, and continued to be an unknowing advocate for others. Christian died by suicide on July 20, 2018, yet his spirit of advocacy lives on through his family and friends and the ways they honor him.
Eric Honea created the Christian Lee Honea Memorial Scholarship to provide financial assistance for veterans and active-duty members of the military enrolled at UMKC School of Law. Through this endowed scholarship fund, he can help other members of the armed forces community advocate for others, just as Christian did.
“I knew I wanted to do something to remember Christian and honor the impact he made on his friends in high school and the military,” Honea said. “This scholarship supports veterans who have been unknowing advocates and are now seeking to become attorneys and help others in the legal system.”
Honea began his law school journey in 2019, after retiring from a 20-year career in law enforcement. During his time at UMKC, he got involved in the Oliver Club, a student organization focused on mental health and wellness. Sharing Christian’s story and teaching others about mental health helped him realize that he wanted to do more to keep making an impact.
“It was shortly after my graduation from law school that I decided I wanted to start a scholarship in Christian’s name,” Honea said. “UMKC made an impact on me and helped me through this life transition. They helped me figure out my goals and what kind of lawyer I wanted to be. Now this scholarship can help other veterans as well.”
The Christian Lee Honea Memorial Scholarship was endowed in 2023 and provided a scholarship to its first recipient in 2024. In November 2024, Honea held a comedy show fundraiser in honor of Christian’s dream to be a stand-up comedian. The fundraiser raised more than $21,000.
“This scholarship will continue to touch so many people because of Christian’s life,” Honea said. “To be able to keep moving forward and know that recipients have the same heart and dedication to give back that he did is amazing.”
Supporting Others: Ashley Grace
Nearly every law student experiences the same anxiety-inducing milestone: taking the bar exam. What isn’t the same is the lunch they have in the middle of it.
“I took the Florida state bar exam and stood in line for 30 minutes to get a hamburger,” Ashley Grace (J.D. ’14) said. “I watched all the students from the University of Florida go into a room, pick out a boxed lunch and sit down together, all while I stood in line for a hamburger I didn’t even really want, stressing about how much time I would have to eat.”
That experience made an impression on Grace, and she acted on it when she helped found UMKC School of Law’s Young Alumni Group just one year later. She and co-founder, Tyson Bramley, started the Lunch at the Bar program to encourage young alumni to give back in a meaningful way, even though they were rookie attorneys themselves.
“We wanted to introduce young alumni to the idea of giving back to the school, but we didn’t want it to be a big ask,” Grace said. “This is such an easy thing, and you know exactly what your money is going to. We asked for $20 at the time, which isn’t much but makes a big difference to that student getting lunch. A little bit of generosity really goes a long way.”
Grace and Bramley’s slogan was “help them take one thing off their plate,” and their goal was to provide all UMKC bar exam takers in Missouri and Kansas with a free boxed lunch during the exam. Nearly 10 years later, the program is still going strong and serves as a wonderful supplement to the bar preparation classes UMKC Law provides its J.D. graduates at no cost beyond their tuition and fees.
“The students are so thankful, and not just for the lunch,” Grace said. “There’s a feeling of relief at seeing a friendly face during such a stressful time, and getting some encouragement and camaraderie. You don’t have to worry about if you brought cash or if you packed lunch. If you can show up to such a stressful experience and have one less thing to worry about, that’s important.”