Name: Kimberly Francis
Age: 19
Major: Psychology and social work
Hometown: Liberal
Kimberly Francis, a native of Southwest Kansas, is at the end of her second year here at KU. Born and raised in the small town of Liberal (home to the famous Dorothy’s House from “the Wizard of Oz”), Kim was initially overwhelmed by the college experience.
“I had to make a conscious effort to get involved in things that were meaningful to me,” she said. “While KU still feels like a really huge place, I think finding a little niche where you’re just a bit more involved is really important.” Kim found her place by tapping into her affinity for helping others, the same passion that led her to pursue degrees in both psychology and social work.
“Social Work seems really hands on, and I want to work closely with people. I want to either work in a hospital or be a school counselor, but there are so many more things you can do with that degree,” she said. “I think everybody has that drive as a human being to want to help somebody else. Social Work is my way of contributing to society in a direct way.”
Kim is also a Peace Corps ambassador for KU, and she hopes to go abroad as a volunteer one day.
“My mom volunteered with the Peace Corps, so I grew up hearing a lot about it, and out of the 65 countries you can choose from, both she and my supervisor here at KU went to Nepal,” she said. “So if I were to believe in fate, I would go to Nepal because it seems like everyone I’ve ever known who’s done Peace Corps went there. Even though spending two years in a foreign country seems really daunting, I think it’s a very special organization. There are so many countries you can pick from, and the program will place you exactly where you want to go.”
Kim’s desire to dedicate her time to others runs in the family. Her dad, Shannon Francis, is a state legislator. Kim was deeply involved with his campaign for the position in 2014.
“He’s a great guy,” she said. “He really does inspire me. He went back to the small community that we’re from to be a leader. Because Liberal is so small, it doesn’t have as much to offer as other places, but he cares about it so much and wants to make it a better place. I think it’s a lot to say that you’ve lived somewhere for 56 years. That’s a really long time to live in one place. You have to care about it a lot, and I think that’s admirable.”
Kim’s parents/ inspirations/ real MVPs
“My mom is really awesome, too,” she said. “She runs the Baughman Foundation. They rent land to farmers, and the money that they get back is given to the towns of Southwest Kansas that need it. I pretty much credit every good thing I’ve ever done to my parents. They’re really nice and caring. They let me know that I can do whatever I want to do and that they’ll support me 100 percent.”
Their support will undoubtedly see Kim through many adventures, the soonest being her upcoming trip to Louisville, Kentucky as part of KU’s Alternative Breaks program. She will be spending her winter break working with The Fairness Campaign, an organization that seeks to build an inclusive community for LGBTQ individuals and work toward improved civil rights legislation.
“I’m really excited! Before I started, I didn’t understand just how much Alternative Breaks will prepare you before you go. You attend classes that educate you on some really deep topics that make you feel ready and excited for the upcoming trip. I think it’s one of those things you can only do while you’re in college, so I wanted to experience something like it. It’s a different way to spend part of your break; a way to hopefully do something nice.”
All photos provided by Kimberly Francis