‘He’s just Travis.’ Chiefs’ Kelce bets big on the bright young minds at Ignition Lab | Opinion
Meeting Travis Kelce is no longer a big deal for Semahj Ware, a senior at DeLaSalle High School in Kansas City. Over the years, she’s spoken with the Chiefs’ tight end a few times, Ware told me during a recent visit to Operation Breakthrough’s Ignition Lab at 3024 Troost Avenue.
Ware, 18, says visiting with Kelce is akin to spending time with a friend. In the past, they’ve shared pizza and laughs. Kelce has been a fixture at the lab, Ware said. She is rarely starstruck by his appearance.
“He’s just Travis,” Ware said. “When he comes over, it’s still a great feeling but you’re not as fazed. It’s more of a humbling feeling that we get to see an old friend.”
Ware has participated in programs at the Ignition Lab since its inception. This semester, she is enrolled in a culinary arts cohort, one of 10 programs offered at Ignition Lab. Ware aspires to own a bakery someday. Cakes are her specialty. So far, she’s made two from scratch, including a German chocolate one.
Thanks to Kelce, the Chiefs All-Pro tight end and two-time Super Bowl champion, Ware is among hundreds of high school students from Kansas City’s urban core who pass through the Ignition Lab each day. Ware is also among a group of students in the automotive program restoring a 1973 Ford Bronco. When it’s complete, Operation Breakthrough will raffle off the vehicle. The automotive cohort is also refurbishing a food truck, which culinary art students will operate, according to Operation Breakthrough president and CEO Mary Esselman.
“So far, it’s been a great experience,” Ware said. “A lot of the things I’ve learned are very essential for jobs. It’s definitely built on my experiences.”
Another student, DeLaSalle freshman Jenniyah Smith, 14, is in her first year with the Ignition Lab. Last semester, she enrolled in graphic design. Now, she’s focused on the computer technician program.
In the graphic design cohort, Smith designed her own sweatshirt. She dreams of owning a clothing line. She credits the Ignition Lab for planting that entrepreneurial seed.
“We’ve learned a lot,” she said. “I like it.”
Smith told me she has not yet met Kelce. But she is aware of his hands-on involvement with Operation Breakthrough and Ignition Lab, which she credits with motivating her to design clothes.
“Since I did graphic design I got to create my own sweatshirt,” she said. “It inspired me to keep doing that.”
Older teens have educational, job skill needs
Since the Chiefs drafted Kelce in 2013, we’ve witnessed his on-field exploits each week. When he’s done playing, he’s destined be considered one of the greatest tight ends in NFL history. To get a sense of the impact Kelce has made off the field, I toured the Ignition Lab on Kansas City’s East Side on Feb 5.
There, I was met by Esselman. The visit lasted about 45 minutes. We stuck our heads inside each room. High school students from DeLaSalle and Hogan Preparatory Academy rotated in and out of the building with precision.
Freshmen at each school are required to participate at the Ignition Lab. Sophomores and upperclassmen opt to return on their own, Esselman said. Most do, she said.
On this visit, I also met with instructors from Operation Breakthrough’s early childhood center. At 13, kids age out of Operation Breakthrough. Kelce, a frequent volunteer there, saw that teens still had needs to be met. He stepped in and Ignition Lab was born. I came away excited about the future employment and educational prospects of young people enrolled in the program.
The week of my visit, Kelce and the Chiefs left for Las Vegas for Super Bowl 58 against San Francisco, so he was not available to talk to me about Ignition Lab. But in a 2021 interview with Fox Sports, Kelce spoke of his passion for young people in Kansas City enrolled in Operation Breakthrough.
“The moment I walked in the door, I knew that the place was special,” Kelce said. “To be able to give these kids a safe haven and something positive to do towards their goals in life. … I think this Ignition Lab will do just that.”
Later in the interview, Kelce added: “I’m just trying to give these kids confidence and the ability to grab something that they wouldn’t have otherwise and really run with it.”
Real-world experience in many employment fields
The Ignition Lab is a workforce development program where students spend time each week gaining real-world experience in fields ranging from culinary arts to automotive and engineering. There are digital media, coding and other components, too.
In the digital media space, students produced the first episode of a podcast hosted by Kelce’s father, Ed Kelce. The episode is in the editing phase, according to Esselman. Students are patiently waiting for the podcast to drop, Esselman said. No publishing date has been announced.
“They’re excited to work with Ed Kelce,” she said.
In 2020, Kelce purchased a shuttered muffler shop on Troost and turned the building into a coworking space for teens 14-18. Although the lab is financially supported by Kelce’s nonprofit, 87 & Running, there’s always a need for monetary donations, supplies and volunteers, according to Esselman.
Any area business offering internships for teens — like Ware, Smith or others — should contact Esselman at marye@operationbreakthrough.org. On my visit, I met a few participants of Ignition Lab. Each of them was genuine, ambitious and talented. Based on my observations, any of them would be a great addition to the workforce of any company around the metropolitan area.
Don’t just take my word for it. Employers, set up a visit to see these young people in action.
