Vernon Birmingham ’00, Kansas City, Kansas

Vernon Birmingham Jr. enjoyed success on the baseball diamond as a Knight from 1997-2000, including an appearance in the NCAA Division III World Series. He now stars in the game of life, molding young minds and providing spiritual guidance through multiple leadership roles in his hometown of Kansas City, Kansas.

The former political science major champions values-based education as the director of curriculum and teacher support for Youth Entrepreneurs, a nonprofit serving more than 1,000 students in 41 high schools in Kansas and Missouri.

Birmingham’s faith calls him to serve, and his efforts to do so are far-reaching. He is a pastor and elder at Servant Community Church and was instrumental in the development of Living Stone Family Worship Center.

Birmingham is active in a program for the Urban Scholastic Center that provides meals and Bible study for inner-city youth. As a board member and active mentor with the nonprofit Christian ministry, Birmingham promotes literacy at two elementary schools and mentors high school athletic teams.

A past teacher and coach at his former high school, he founded and runs Pure Talent Elite Track and Field, a faith-based youth club that focuses not only on physical goals, but on spiritual and mental development.

Birmingham volunteers as a mentor and presenter for the YMCA Young Achievers Program, serves as a guest preacher for Kanakuk Christian camp, and launched a Junior Bible Quiz program.

In 2011, Kansas City Kansas Public Schools inducted Birmingham into its Reasons to Believe Alumni Honor Roll.

Birmingham and his wife, Fatir, have three daughters.