Avila Now

Avila Alumna, Atenas Mena is the Co-Executive Director/Environmental Health Director of CleanAirNow (CAN). She is a proud first-generation college student, Mexican American, the daughter of immigrants, and grew up in Kansas City, Kansas. Mena graduated from Avila University with a Bachelor’s in Nursing in 2014 and a Master’s in Nursing Leadership from Missouri Western State...

Deciding to go to college is a big decision. And we don’t mean choosing between Harvard and Yale big. We mean life-altering, career-defining, world-shaping big. So, before you commit to that school (or schools) of your dreams, make sure you’re considering all of your options and making the best decision for you. Here are a...

The United States has long been a top destination for international students, and for good reason. American universities offer world-class academics, a wide variety of degree programs, and countless personal and professional growth opportunities. Here are just four of the many benefits of studying in the United States. Education QualityThere is no denying that the...

About one-third of all college students in the United States are first-generation — students those whose parents did not attend college. Being the first in their immediate family to pursue higher education, they often face significant obstacles in pursuing their education, including financial challenges and a lack of awareness about the college application process. Despite...

Five Latinx Avila School of Education students were each recently awarded a $3000 grant to assist with the educational cost of pursuing their dream of being an educator. The grant was awarded to Avila University by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), and through it, Avila partnered with the Latinx Education Collaborative...

Marlon Jones was an Avila STEM Scholar and graduated class of 2021 with a bachelor’s in Biochemistry, and a minor in environmental science.  “I work for Trinity Biotech, a production company for HPLC (High-Performance Liquid Chromatography) instruments and point-of-care devices. I fell in love with both sciences [chemistry and biology] and merged the two,” said...

Kansas City local Jazlyn Epps is a professional actress, teacher, singer, and songwriter – a well-rounded performer and an Avila University alumna. She got involved in the arts at a young age and felt it was her true calling. After practicing her craft for several years, she refined her skills further with a BFA in...

Cameron Leathers was an Avila STEM scholar and recently graduated in May 2022 with a bachelor’s in computer science. He now works at WellSky in Overland Park as a Support Analyst.  “It’s the world headquarters. We supply medical, at-home personal care software to people all over the nation. I take incoming calls and emails from...

After a lengthy, two-year process involving self-study, site visits, meetings, and CASCE board review, Avila’s Kinesiology program has received initial undergraduate accreditation through the National Strength and Conditioning Association – Council on Accreditation of Strength and Conditioning Education (NSCA-CASCE). “Avila University was one of the first six schools to have our application approved for a...

While invented in the late 1950s, virtual reality technology is at a new level of cultural awareness thanks to the accessibility of personal VR systems like Oculus and Meta’s creation and promotion of the virtual “Metaverse.” Assistant Professor of Cognitive Science Jared Branch, Ph.D., is utilizing VR technologies at Avila University to understand how the...