A career in the US army sparked Rebecca Rumptz's passion for international diplomacy. Originally from a small town in Michigan, she joined the Army straight out of high school and spent the next seven years as a soldier working in intelligence analysis.  Assignments in Germany, Iraq and Afghanistan, and a period in Washington D.C. fueled her passions further. A desire to learn more led her to KU.

October Davis loves teaching history. It's her career calling. So when she arrived at KU, she enrolled in the School of Education and began developing the skills, knowledge and experience needed to become a secondary education teacher. And she's never looked back. But, like so many aspiring teachers October was also passionate about the subject she wanted to teach. Reading, researching and writing history sparked a fire in October that she could not ignore. Even though it would take her a little longer to graduate, October decided to pursue her passion by enrolling in the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences and adding a history major to her education degree. Speaking to October now, it is easy to see why it was a great decision. When she talks about history, her eyes light up, a large smile crosses her face, and she bubbles with enthusiasm.

While KU basketball’s quest for the National Championship grabbed our attention during March, another heated tournament with an equally illustrious KU history took place at the University of Kansas. The KU Edwards Campus welcomed the nation’s best collegiate debaters to compete over four intense days, March 24-27, at the 71st National Debate Tournament. This is the first time KU has hosted the tournament, yet KU Debate’s successful history in national competition rivals that of the KU men’s basketball team. They have won the National Debate Tournament championship five times and have qualified for the tournament in 66 of the 71 years of its existence.

Hometown: Beloit, Kansas

Majors: Political Science & Economics

Internship title and company: Office of Postsecondary Education Intern, United States Department of Education

Our graduates are not only scientists but leaders in the lab, classroom and across the campus. Some found their passions early in life, while others discovered it after trying other things. These Jayhawks combine their science degrees with language skills, understandings of politics and international relations, and whatever else they need to prepare for a variety of careers beyond KU.  They win national awards. And they leave KU ready to take on the world in medicine, humanitarian relief, academia and environmental conservation.

These graduating Jayhawks are fascinated by the way the world works. From the individual, to the local, to social media, to crises across the globe, their studies have prepared them to make a difference at all levels, and they're already making an impact. Some found their passion for the social sciences straight out of high-school, others while working jobs in public service. But they are all united in their dedication to taking the skills and knowledge they learned at KU into the world and making it a better place.

Our humanities graduates push boundaries, driven by the conviction that anything is possible. They look to the past to understand different ways of living, and to make sense of how change happens and why the world developed the way it did. They interrogate the present, analyzing real problems that affect lives and they propose solutions that benefit the people that need them most. They travel near and far, exploring the rich diversity of cultures spread across the planet driven by curiosity and the belief that with open minds we can all learn from one another. And they leave KU armed with the knowledge and skills to make the world a better, fairer place for everyone.

Our arts graduates pursue their passions with heart and intent. As they created, they developed useful skills and knowledge, and career paths emerged before their eyes. Whether on the stage, behind the camera or creating art and products with their chosen tools, these Jayhawks go out into the world fully prepared to make their mark.

Across the humanities, sciences and the arts in the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, there are inspiring faculty and students busy helping us understand our world better. From dinosaur digs to social media to explaining the Black Lives Matter movement, we have compiled some of our highlights for you below.  

Wanting to provide film students with the opportunity to collaborate and gain experience on film projects, an ambitious and talented film and media studies student has revived the video production club, Filmworks. Savannah Rodgers, an Olathe junior, worked on film projects independently before a desire for collaboration sent her seeking information on the defunct club which led her to like-minded students eager for opportunity. “My freshman year, I wasn’t sure how to find and start making projects with other film students,” Rodgers said.

What started as a high school project turned into five years of work and a self-published novel that’s already in its second printing. Crystal Bradshaw, sophomore majoring in creative writing, discovered through research for an assignment on family history that her great-great-great-great grandmother was part of the exoduster movement that brought former slaves to the Midwest. The book, “Eliza: A Generational Journey,” begins with Eliza’s life as a slave in Kentucky and continues through her journey of emancipation and her life in Jetmore, Kansas, where the Bradshaw family has now lived for 134 years.

Looking back, it’s amazing to see what our students, professors and alumni have accomplished in the past year. They made ground-breaking discoveries, received national and international recognition for their work and experienced exclusive learning opportunities. Here are just a few highlights from 2015.