This year The Victory Project awarded four students the Emerging Sports Leaders Scholarship. This scholarship provides financial assistance to students whose lives have been impacted by the sport of soccer. This year’s recipients were Lily Sowle, Caden Pinter, Paul Wiggins, and Amisi Mpole.
Get to know our scholarship recipients:
Lily Sowle is an incoming freshman at Rockhurst University. She is pursuing a degree in biochemistry and has served as a coach for Sporting Rec League. At 12 years old, Lily started her own charity Lily's League. This charity has collected and donated over $230,000 worth of new and gently used soccer gear to underserved children. Lily hopes to become a nurse anesthetist and has secured a spot in the 2025 nursing class at Rockhurst.
Caden Pinter is from Shawnee, Kansas and is attending Kansas State University, pursuing a degree in finance. Soccer has been a big part of Caden’s life. He was an athlete with the Kansas City Athletics soccer club and even has ties with Sporting Kansas City, being a guest in the Victory Suite when his brother was a Matchday Honoree and working as a part-time associate with the club. Caden has always been a dedicated volunteer with Variety Children's Charity of Greater Kansas City and hopes to own his own business one day to continue investing in his community.
Paul Wiggins is attending Metropolitan Community College. Paul who is from Lone Jack, Mo. participated in Sporting Kansas City youth camps growing up and was a member of Sporting Missouri Valley. Paul showed great leadership skills by serving as a captain on his high school soccer team in his junior and senior year. Paul has also served as a coach for ZSports soccer facility and hopes to continue his coaching career to make a great impact on young soccer players.
The final scholarship recipient is Amisi Mpole from Kansas City, Mo. Amisi is attending Park University and is pursuing a degree in Business. Amisi has played for the Global FC soccer club and is a certified translator. Amisi, a refugee from Tanzania, speaks about the power of the soccer community. The sport helped teach him what it means to be a leader and giving back to his community. Amisi is a first-generation college student, and he hopes to obtain his MBA and start a business that generates employment opportunities and fosters economic growth within marginalized communities in Kansas City. Amisi is continuing his soccer career as a member of Park University Men's Soccer Team.
To celebrate this accomplishment, The Victory Project invited the four recipients and their specials guests to Children’s Mercy Park for a reception and stadium tour. During the receptions, the scholarship recipients were given a custom kit presented by special guest, Sporting KC midfielder, Nemanja Radoja.
These four recipients embody leadership and passion in their communities, and The Victory Project is proud to honor them as they step forward into the next chapter of their academic careers. To learn more about the Scholarship and the Victory Project, please visit www.victorykc.org/.