Wichita State News: Scholarships

Humanities scholarship awarded to Northwest High senior

Wed, 5 Jun 2013 13:37:00 CST

Erin Gray

Wichita senior Erin Gray has been selected to receive the Anna Elizabeth Walsh Humanities Scholarship, one of the largest awarded at Wichita State University.

Gray, 17, the daughter of Daniel and Susan Gray of Wichita, graduated in May from Northwest High School. She plans to major in creative writing in WSU's Fairmount College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

The Walsh scholarship covers the recipient's costs for tuition, books, room and board and certain other expenses. It is renewable for all four years of college as long as the recipient meets academic standards, making the value of the award in excess of $50,000 over its life.

Officials in the Fairmount College of Liberal Arts and Sciences select the recipient for the prestigious scholarship, which was established in 1994 by WSU alumna Kathleen Walsh in honor of her mother, a teacher. Since then, it has been awarded to 11 students in the Fairmount College.

Gray was selected because of her 3.5 grade point average as well as a long list of accomplishments and activities, says Eunice Myers, Fairmount College associate dean.

Gray was a drum line co-captain in her school's marching band, served as vice president of the Drama Club and won a playwright competition in the Kansas Thespian Contest in 2012. She says her dream is to be a playwright.

"I really enjoy writing and especially playwriting," Gray says. "At first, I thought I might want to be a journalist, but now I want to pursue creative writing. Wichita State has a great creative writing program."

"She's clearly a leader and a talented young woman," Myers says. "We're talking about a young woman with a wide range of abilities as a musician, writer and actor/director. We're thrilled to have a student of such high quality join us at Wichita State."

Gray competed in Wichita State's Distinguished Scholarship Invitational, which awards some of WSU's most sought-after scholarships to high-achieving students.

Linwood Sexton Scholarship awarded to Solomon High senior

Wed, 29 May 2013 13:06:00 CST

Eddie Sandoval

Solomon High School (Solomon, Kan.) senior Eddie Sandoval was recently named the Linwood Sexton Scholarship recipient at Wichita State University for the 2013-2014 academic year.

The four-year scholarship provides full tuition, books, fees and on-campus housing, and has opened the door for Sandoval to get a college education.

Sandoval is described by his high school band director as the "definition of a positive attitude with his abilities to encourage others on a daily basis."

A student leader
At Solomon High School, Sandoval was successful at academics while working part-time and being involved in school activities. He lettered three years in football, basketball and marching and jazz band, all while maintaining a 4.0 GPA.

Sandoval also served as class student vice president for the past three years.

He is known throughout his community as a hard worker, often stopping to help neighbors with mowing and snow removal.

"I take pride in my work and make sure I do the best in everything I do," Sandoval said.

Sandoval looks forward to attending Wichita State in the fall and plans to major in Business Finance.

Scholarship history
The Sexton Scholarship was established in 2000 to honor its namesake, Linwood Sexton.
Sexton, a Wichita State legend in football, is a member of the Shocker Sports Hall of Fame and Kansas Sports Hall of Fame.

An untiring advocate for equal opportunity and social justice, he has been honored with many awards for his efforts in promoting understanding and respect among people of different racial, religious and ethnic backgrounds.

Incoming freshman applicants must have a minimum 3.0 grade point average and demonstrate financial need. All students are eligible to apply, but preference is given to minority students.

The scholarship is automatically renewed as long as the student maintains satisfactory academic progress.

Wichita East IB grads make WSU their top choice

Wed, 15 May 2013 08:47:00 CST

Wichita State University is the No. 1 destination for graduates of Wichita East High School's rigorous International Baccalaureate program.

A special East High IB recognition program was held recently where graduates indicated their planned college destination.

In a class that has yielded students who plan to attend MIT, New York University, Northwestern, Seton Hall, Brigham Young, Notre Dame and more, Wichita State was the top choice for more East High IB graduates than any other college.

Bobby Gandu

"We're thrilled and humbled to know that Wichita State will be the college of choice for more East High IB graduates than any other college," said Bobby Gandu, director of undergraduate admissions at WSU.

Gandu credited a multi-step, collaborative recruitment approach with many campus units, ranging from Honors to academic departments to University Relations as being influential in the success.

Of particular note is that the East High IB students have also been successful in various WSU scholarship competitions.

Kiah Duggins was named a Barton Scholar; Sachin Pendse was named a Wallace Scholar; Katie Deutsch was named a Jabara Scholar; Tom Tran was named a McGregor Scholar; and Rachael Manske and Michelle Robbins were named Dean's Scholars.

Among Kansas colleges and universities, 20 East High IB graduates plan to attend Wichita State, 19 intend to go to the University of Kansas and six to Kansas State University. Four other Kansas colleges will each receive one graduate. The remaining 21 East High IB graduates will pursue college out-of-state.

Wichita State senior awarded annual real estate scholarship

Thu, 2 May 2013 11:35:00 CST

Daniel Gutierrez is the 2013-2014 recipient of the Layman L. Clark/Kansas CCIM Chapter Scholarship in Real Estate.

This annual scholarship was established in 2011 by noted real estate developer and WSU alumnus Stephen L. Clark in honor of his father and in order to support WSU students with a demonstrated interest in a commercial real estate career.

Read full story.

East High senior wins WSU's $26,000 McGregor scholarship

Mon, 1 Apr 2013 09:30:00 CST

Thong Huy Tran

Thong Huy (Tom) Tran, a senior in the International Baccalaureate program at Wichita High School East, is the winner of Wichita State University's Lenora M. McGregor Endowed Scholarship. It awards $26,000 over four years to one student.

The winner of the McGregor scholarship participates in WSU's Emory Lindquist Honors Program, which supports highly motivated and academically talented undergraduate students through honors-level coursework and faculty mentoring.

To be admitted to the honors program, students must have a minimum 3.7 high school GPA, 27 ACT score or a 3.5 college GPA.

The Lenora N. McGregor Endowed Scholarship was established in 1963 to support an incoming first-year student who has demonstrated academic excellence in the past, has an academic vision for the future, and who expresses an interest in advancing knowledge through individual learning.

Thong Huy Tran

Tran is the son of Hoai Tran and Van Nguyen. While at Wichita State, he plans to major in aerospace engineering, with a minor in physics.

Tran is a member of the National Honor Society, Eco Club and Asian Club at East High. He is also a member of St. Anthony Catholic Church's Lion Dance Team and performs at various restaurants and churches in Wichita for the Vietnamese New Year Festival.

He is particularly proud of his involvement in the Vietnamese Eucharistic Youth Society, a national organization for Catholic youth.

Cheney high schooler wins WSU journalism scholarship

Mon, 11 Mar 2013 11:55:00 CST

Kaitlin Nance, a senior from Cheney High School, has been named recipient of the 2013-2014 Victor Murdock Scholarship at Wichita State University.

WSU's Elliott School of Communication awards one Murdock scholarship a year to an incoming freshman with a journalism emphasis who, in the opinion of the selection committee, exhibits particular interest in and the potential for success in journalism.

"Kaitlin's passion for journalism is apparent," said Eric Wilson, Elliott School instructor and scholarship committee chair. "Her solid work with editing and multimedia reporting is reflective of the type of work we look for in Murdock scholarship recipients. We are excited to have her come to WSU to begin her journalism career."

Applicants must have a minimum high school GPA of 3.0. Murdock scholarships are a four year award, and the total amount available to each student is $5,000.

Victor Murdock was born in Burlingame, Kan., in 1871 and was the publisher and managing editor of The Wichita Eagle from 1894-1903. Following his political career as a five-term U.S. Representative, he returned as editor and publisher of the Wichita Eagle until his death in 1945.

The fund was established by his grandson, Captain Victor Delano (U.S. Navy, retired).

College of Engineering names 2013-2014 Wallace Scholars

Tue, 5 Mar 2013 14:18:00 CST

Wichita State University's College of Engineering has awarded 10 high school seniors $200,000 in Wallace Scholarships. Each scholar will receive a four-year renewable scholarship for a total of $20,000.

Selection for the Wallace Scholarship is based on the recipients' high school GPAs, ACT scores and performance at the annual Wallace Invitational for Scholarships in Engineering (WISE), which is held in November.

In addition to the scholarship, selected students will become part of the Wallace Scholars, a community of engineering students, composed of more than 40 members from every class and major within the College of Engineering.

Wallace Scholars are actively involved on the WSU campus and within the Wichita community to promote engineering, math and science, and community service.

The Wallace Scholarship is made possible through the Dwane and Velma Wallace Endowment, created in 1976, which supports scholarships for engineering students and provides funds for the College of Engineering. Since 1980, 270 engineering students have graduated as Wallace Scholars.

Wallace Scholars for the 2013-2014 academic year:
Parker Amos, Maize High School South, aerospace
Joshua Barker, Blue Valley West High School, aerospace
Madison Bays, Wichita Northeast Magnet High School, aerospace
Chandler Bolen, El Dorado High School, computer science
Peter Jensen, Hesston High School, undecided
William Klausmeyer, Kapaun-Mt. Carmel High School, aerospace
Sachin Pendse, Wichita High School East, computer engineering
Alec Potluri, Newton High School, industrial
Jacob Simon, Trinity High School, undecided
Alec Willford, Andover High School, aerospace

Two area high schoolers win WSU's $20,000 Jabara scholarship

Tue, 12 Feb 2013 10:52:00 CST

Two Wichita-area high school students are winners of the 2013-2014 Professor Fran Jabara Scholarship in Entrepreneurship at Wichita State University.

Katie Deutsch, a senior at Wichita High School East, and Everett Lacy, a senior at Maize South High School, are the recipients.

The scholarship is one of the most prestigious at WSU and one of the largest entrepreneurship scholarships nationally.

It awards each recipient $20,000 over four years.

To compete, a student must have a minimum ACT score of 24, a GPA of 3.5 or better and be a declared entrepreneurship major.

The Jabara Scholarship was established in 1998 and is named for Fran Jabara, former dean of the College of Business Administration at WSU.

Along with the financial benefits, winners also are mentored by Jabara during their stay at the university.

Katie Deutsch
Deutsch is the daughter of Steven and Cindy Deutsch. While at Wichita State, she plans to study business administration, with a major in entrepreneurship and marketing along with a minor in Spanish.

Katie Deutsch

She is a member of the National Honor Society and the Spanish Honor Society, as well as the Wichita Mayor's Youth Council and DECA, an international association of marketing students.

Deutsch has been on the East High honor roll all four years of high school and finished second at the DECA Central Regional Competition last year.

A babysitter since 2007 with Seven Neighborhood Families, Deutsch also worked in hospitality for Catholic Care Center.

Everett Lacy

Everett Lacy
Lacy is the son of Chad and Jessica Lacy. He plans to major in entrepreneurship, with a minor in journalism at WSU.

He is a member of the National Honor Society and has lettered academically and in band and cross country.

Lacy is a member of his church's tech team and works as a cashier at Chick-Fil-A.

Wichita State names seventh class of Dean's Scholars

Thu, 7 Feb 2013 10:09:00 CST

After the most competitive process in program history, the seventh class of Dean's Scholars at Wichita State University has been named. Seventy-seven students from across the greater Wichita metropolitan area have been selected.

The names of the newest Dean's Scholars are available at http://www.wichita.edu/j/?2030.

Each year three local high schools are selected from the Wichita area. This year's Dean's Scholars schools were Eisenhower High School (Goddard), Maize South High School and Wichita High School West.

There also are at-large scholarships available to any high school senior from the Wichita metropolitan area. All applicants are required to have a minimum 3.25 grade point average and a minimum ACT composite score of 26, or a minimum ACT composite score of 24 and rank in the top 5 percent of their class.

Those selected will receive institutional scholarships ranging from $4,000 up to full tuition, books, and room and board for the 2013-2014 academic year. Additional scholarship opportunities will be available for subsequent semesters.

Bringing value to WSU

The Dean's Scholars Program was created in 2007 by Christine Schneikart-Luebbe, associate vice president for student engagement and dean of enrollment management, and is coordinated by Trish Inslee, assistant to the dean, enrollment management. The program is aimed at attracting some of Wichita's best and brightest to Wichita State through a variety of social and academic programs.

"All of these students are very talented and will bring value to the Dean's Scholars program and WSU," said Inslee. "I hope they decide Wichita State is where they want to pursue their education."

During the past few months, these students were given a firsthand look into all that Wichita State has to offer. The average ACT of the students selected is 28, and the average grade point average is 3.91.

"These students are some of the area's most impressive high school students, and I look forward to all they will bring as Shockers," said Inslee.

For more information on the Dean's Scholars Program, visit www.wichita.edu/deansscholars.

Campus hosts Open House for prospective students

Wed, 6 Feb 2013 14:12:00 CST

Wichita State University is holding its 2013 Open House from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Friday, March 15, in the CAC Theater.

The event is open to any student who is interested in attending Wichita State. This will be an opportunity for students to get an inside look at everything WSU has to offer.

The cost is $10, which covers materials, a discounted lunch coupon and a Shocker T-shirt. Space is limited, so RSVP at www.wichita.edu/EventRSVP.

Students will design their experience by selecting from a variety of information sessions ranging from student life to scholarships.

A $1,000 scholarship will be held for program attendees entering Wichita State as full-time degree-bound students for the 2013-2014 academic year.

For more information, contact Elisha Swope at (316) 978-3635 or elisha.swope@wichita.edu.

WSU junior receives national scholarship from SHRM Foundation

Mon, 4 Feb 2013 08:50:32 CST

Paige Bornholdt

Wichita State University junior Paige Bornholdt was selected as a recipient of the 2012 Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) Foundation Undergraduate Academic Scholarship.

She is one of 11 applicants nationally to receive the $2,500 SHRM scholarship. More than 250 undergraduate students applied for the award.

Beth McFarland, special projects manager for the SHRM Foundation, said to Bornholdt: "Your accomplishments, character, scholastic ability and leadership potential distinguished you from other applicants. The SHRM Foundation is proud to support your education and recognize you as a future leader of the HR profession."

Bornholdt, from Kingman, Kan., is majoring in human resource management and strategic communication, with a minor in management. She is president of Wichita State's SHRM student organization and is a human resource intern for Axiom Healthcare Services in Wichita.

The Society of Human Resource Management is an international organization with more than 250,000 human resource professional members. In 1972, WSU was one of the first universities in the nation to charter an SHRM student group.

Shocker rowing meet now includes chance at scholarships

Thu, 31 Jan 2013 13:41:00 CST

For the first time, high school rowers will get the chance to win a scholarship to Wichita State University during the Shocker Sprints Indoor Rowing Race next month.

The race, from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 9, at WSU's Heskett Center, will be a scholarship competition for high school athletes.

The best male and best female rower of the 2,000-meter distance on rowing machines will win a $250 scholarship to Wichita State and the opportunity to be part of Shocker Rowing.
The scholarship is only open to those new to rowing.

Each athlete competing at Shocker Sprints is represented by a boat on a screen that is visible to all. Spectators and competitors have real time information on who is winning and by how much.

There will be 2,000-meter events, 1,000-meter team events in which four rowers compete as one boat, and a new 30-minute event. These events have registration fees.

The event is free to watch.

For more information or to register, go to www.wichita.edu/shockersprints.

Kansas high school seniors win $52,000 WSU Gore scholarships

Thu, 31 Jan 2013 12:18:00 CST

Kansas high school students Amanda Johnson and Reegan Innes have won Wichita State University's Harry Gore Memorial Scholarships.

And in a surprise announcement, WSU Foundation President Elizabeth King said the value of the scholarships would increase from $48,000 per student to $52,000. Innes and Johnson will receive $13,000 a year for four years to attend Wichita State.

Johnson is a senior at Wichita High School Northwest, and Innes is a senior at Mulvane High School in Mulvane, Kan.

The scholarships, awarded annually at Wichita State, recognize leadership and academic skills and are two of the largest undergraduate scholarships in Kansas.

Amanda Johnson

Johnson is interested in studying finance at Wichita State.

She is vice president of Youth Entrepreneurship of DECA, an international association of marketing students, and placed first at the state DECA competition.

"Amanda qualified and attended the International DECA Conference Competitions this past spring. She applied her leadership abilities and the insights gained from this conference to helping recruit and build our Wichita Northwest DECA program and had a direct impact on the growth of our membership with her diligence, perseverance and enthusiasm," said Northwest marketing teacher Jeff Darr.

Johnson is active with the National Honor Society, is sports editor and reporter for the Northwest Explorer, and is a four-year varsity competitor and two-year state track and field qualifier.

Paul Wemmer, Johnson's summer internship employer, calls Johnson a natural leader.

"In my opinion, although she is absolutely not lacking in motivation, professionalism or knowledge, her biggest asset is her personality," Wemmer said. "Leaders not only have to lead by example, but they have to gain the respect of their followers."

Reegan Innes

Innes is interested in studying elementary education at WSU.

She is president of her school's Thespian Club and is a member of the Kansas Association of Youth, Students Against Destructive Decisions and National Honor Society.

Innes was chosen from her class to attend a leadership camp for HOBY – a national youth leadership development organization.

She is a member of her church praise band, is a varsity show choir member and is a member of the student council.

Her vocal director, Rachel Jansen, said: "Reegan has an enormous amount of potential to lead at WSU. I think she leads anyone who is around her, whether that be in music, academics, community service, dorm life or even just having fun. Reegan is one of those students you won't ever forget."

Innes has participated in several mission trips to Kansas City, Alabama and New Mexico, where she helped repair homeless shelters, prepared meals and cleaned up schools.

"The most impressive characteristic trait of Reegan is that she is a true advocate for all students," said science teacher Denise Woods. "Most students in high school seem to have a narrow focus and a 'me' perspective; Reegan does what is in the best interest for all students involved."

Background

Johnson and Innes competed in the largest Distinguished Scholarship Invitationals in history, with 413 competitors.

To be invited to compete in the invitational, students must have a 24 or higher ACT score and a minimum 3.5 cumulative GPA.

Gore scholarships have been awarded annually since 1954 to freshmen entering WSU who display outstanding potential for leadership. Theodore and Ralph Gore established the Harry Gore Memorial Scholarship in 1952.

Salina friends go through liver transplant surgery

Wed, 9 Jan 2013 15:19:00 CST

Families of two longtime Salina friends spent Wednesday in a hospital waiting room as Sarah Thompson gave Charlie Fiorillo part of her liver.

Fiorillo, 20, was still in surgery undergoing the liver transplant, which is aimed at giving him relief from years of torment from Familial Intrahepatic Cholestasis, a genetic liver disorder known as Byler's disease.

Thompson, 21, a junior at Wichita State University majoring in social work, underwent testing and learned she was a donor match.

Read full story.

WSU awards $8,000 scholarship to Salina High School South senior

Wed, 9 Jan 2013 11:26:00 CST

Wichita State University has selected Salina High School South senior Margarette Long as the 2012-2013 winner of the Ark Valley Chisholm Trail Scholarship. Circle High School senior Emily Hoover is the runner-up.

Long will receive $8,000, or $2,000 a year, over four years to attend WSU.

Hoover will receive $4,000, or $1,000 a year, over four years to attend WSU.

Long and Hoover were selected from a pool of about 100 applicants competing for the AVCT Scholarship.

To be eligible for the scholarship, students were required to have a 24 or higher ACT score, a minimum 3.5 cumulative GPA, apply for WSU general scholarships and be a student at an AVCT League high school.

Ark Valley Chisholm Trail Scholarships have been awarded annually to incoming Wichita State freshmen since 2005.