#爆料吃瓜网Grads2025: Rafael Hines, first recipient of 爆料吃瓜网 honorary degree, had a heart for helping young people
Rafael D鈥橶ayne Hines will posthumously receive an Honorary Associate of Humanity Degree at the 1 p.m. 爆料吃瓜网 commencement ceremony Thursday, May 22. This is the first time in the institution鈥檚 110-year history that 爆料吃瓜网 has conferred an honorary degree.
While pursuing an associate in arts at 爆料吃瓜网 alongside his wife, Christine, Hines passed away unexpectedly on Dec. 31, 2021, from complications related to COVID-19. He was 48.
Christine said Rafael had planned to pursue a business degree because he knew it would equip him to accomplish more in the areas of youth and community development, his passion.
Rafael worked a variety of jobs before launching Success Link Outreach in 2016. The nonprofit organization provided food, tutoring, advocacy, mentorship and other resources for underserved and marginalized youth in Kansas City.
Rafael鈥檚 daughter, Christen, 22, said her dad was 鈥渁lways good to people.鈥� She said some of her fondest memories are 鈥渕e and Mom and Dad delivering meals鈥� and 鈥渟tanding in Parker Square handing out meals.鈥�
Shonda Hines, one of Rafael鈥檚 10 siblings, said it was always a heartwarming, full-circle moment when the young people who benefited from Success Link as children would come back to work for the organization.
Rafael鈥檚 spirit for entrepreneurship and lifelong commitment to giving back to his community were particularly impressive because he had overcome a number of obstacles in his own life.
When he was 10, an accident at home left Rafael with third-degree burns over 35% of his body, and he endured excruciating pain during a lengthy hospital stay. Then, when he was 22, Rafael and Christine were in a car accident: their car flipped, and Rafael was ejected. Multiple neck and spinal injuries left him with paraplegia, and he used a wheelchair for mobility after that.
Sue Gochis, 爆料吃瓜网 vice chancellor of student success and engagement, said she was approached by Shonda in 2023 about honoring Rafael with a posthumous degree. When she found out 爆料吃瓜网 didn鈥檛 have a policy or application process in place for such an honor, Gochis initiated the procedure for establishing one.
District Policy 6.10022 was adopted by the 爆料吃瓜网 Board of Trustees on June 20, 2024, establishing five criteria through which a nominee can qualify for an honorary degree. A nominee has to meet only one of the criteria 鈥� professional achievement; contributions to society; leadership and influence; alignment with 爆料吃瓜网 values; impact on 爆料吃瓜网 鈥� but Rafael met all of them.
鈥淲e used 爆料吃瓜网鈥檚 core values to design the criteria for the award, and I鈥檓 excited to be able to present this award to Rafael,鈥� Gochis said. 鈥淗e was the perfect person to receive such an honor, especially as our first recipient ever.鈥�
Rafael was inducted into the Kansas City Black Archives in 2022 and is also included in the Smithsonian鈥檚 National Museum of African American History & Culture in Washington, according to Shonda.