LAWRENCE—This spring, the Kansas Honor Scholars Program, which marks its 50th anniversary as a tradition of the University of Kansas Alumni Association and KU Endowment, honored more than 3,600 high school seniors throughout Kansas for their academic excellence and achievement.
Since 1971 the program has honored more than 150,000 high school seniors—from all 105 Kansas counties and approximately 360 high schools—for ranking academically in the top 10% of their class. The program is made possible by KU Endowment, alumni donations and proceeds from the Alumni Association’s Jayhawk license plate program, and allows the university and the Alumni Association to create more scholarship opportunities for Kansas students.
In the past, the association has hosted recognition ceremonies throughout Kansas, but because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, scholars were honored virtually this year. A special congratulatory video, featuring messages from KU Chancellor Doug Girod, Alumni Association President Heath Peterson, and former KU basketball player and Kansas Honor Scholar Perry Ellis, is available for viewing at kualumni.org/khs. In addition, the association mailed distinctive Kansas Honor Scholar medallions, certificates and letters of recognition to all high schools for distribution to the students.
In 2020, the association raised more than $7,000 for one-time Kansas Honor Scholar Scholarships, funded entirely by alumni donations. In addition, two students will receive the $1,000 renewable four-year Herbert Rucker Woodward Scholarship, given annually for more than two decades to Kansas Honor Scholars. Since 1985, more than 18,000 Kansas Honor Scholars have enrolled as freshmen at KU.
Following are the local and area students who were honored by KU.
CLAY COUNTY
Clay Center Community High School
Madisyn Balfour
Alex Benson
Elisabeth Girton
Ethan Hill
Alexa Jackson
Isaac Lee
Ashlyn Tiers
Witt Williams
Wakefield High School
Nevaeh Copenhaver
Kelly Flickinger
CLOUD COUNTY
Concordia High School
Chloe Conway
Terin Rundus
Cole Stahlman
Dylan Thoman
Conner Thrash
Shea Trecek
Wyatt Trost
Glasco High School
Hana Cool
Miltonvale High School
Morgan Coleman
DICKINSON COUNTY
Abilene High School
Kaden Coup
Anika Cox
Keenan Crider
Grant Heintz
Alyvia Johnson
Keenan Melton
Thomas Rosebrook
Evie Schwarz
Joshua Stuber
Claire Weishaar
Chapman High School
Macy Bliss
Della Hettenbach
Kylie Merritt
Whitney Myers
Kimberly Remily
Herington High School
Sarah Biehler
Kevin Gehrke
Conner LaRosa
Carrie Roe
Hope High School
Amber Brockmeier
Meghan Brockmeier
Solomon High School
Rachel Hagen
Spencer LaCost
Emma Seidl
Aaliyah Smith
ELLSWORTH COUNTY
Ellsworth High School
Nicole Haase
Haley Pfeifer
Gavin Webber
Wilson High School
Cooper Weinhold
JEWELL COUNTY
Rock Hills High School
Karrigan Dunstan
Jauclyn Lemke
LINCOLN COUNTY
Lincoln High School
Paige McBride
Brecken Obermueller
Sylvan-Lucas Unified High School
Jonah Huehl
Elizabeth McCoy
MARION COUNTY
Centre High School
Ashden Alcorn
Tyler Nickel
Goessel High School
Dawson Duerksen
Kale Funk
Elizabeth Schmucker
Hillsboro High School
Dillon Boldt
Jessi Dalke
Charles Major
Jessica Saunders
Marion High School
Anne Baliel
Todd Palic
Laura Savage
Macy Sigel
Jaden Slifer
Abigail Stuchlik
Tristan Williams
Peabody-Burns High School
Mackenzie Eden
Kaete Johnson
MCPHERSON COUNTY
Canton-Galva High School
Keaton Littrell
Emily Peterson
Elyria Christian School
Randi Cooper
Braedan Jones
Zachary Stucky
Inman High School
Peter Buller
Derika Helms
Jaylah Hurley
Elizabeth Leck
Raegan Neufeld
Brenton Thiessen
Jarrod Werth
McPherson High School
Cody Achilles
Samuel Boese
Tessa Boesker
Wyatt Eisenbarth
Adriana Garcia
Brennan Gipson
Conner Glazner
Elijah Hein
Brooks Hubenett
Alexis Kynaston
Brycen Labertew
Aubree Martens
Elissa Nelson
Matthew Powers
Jonah Scott
Madison Skytte
Landon Vogts
Moundridge High School
Erin Durst
Emma Green
Sequora Pfeiff
Smoky Valley High School
Claire Broxterman
Ava Goss
Abigail Hipp
Jacob Lucas
Ophelia Miller
Madison O'Dell
Ellise Peterson
Ileia Wampler
Jacqueline Waugh
Chloe Wolf
MITCHELL COUNTY
Beloit High School
Keighlee Armstrong
Porsche Cooper
Reagan Eilert
Maddison File
Kaiden Hardin
Anthony Henke
Jenna Loomis
St. John's Catholic High School
Lauryn Dubbert
Tipton Catholic High School
Anna Towner
OTTAWA COUNTY
Bennington High School
Jasey Downing
Abigail Hodges
Dylan Koehn
Jayci Shepard
Minneapolis High School
Rachel Bradshaw
Spencer Davidson
Trenton Moeckel
Brendon Shanks
Daniel Watson
Tescott High School
Kylie Flax
REPUBLIC COUNTY
Pike Valley High School
Ethan Benne
Republic County High School
Emily Jensik
Ayden Krohn
SALINE COUNTY
Ell-Saline High School
Katelyn Brandt
Elijah Hopkins
Trevor Peterson
Sacred Heart High School
Katherine Bergkamp
Adelaide Easter
Jack Elmore
Lillian Perrin
Salina Central High School
Valerie Alonso
Spencer Angell
Austin Beatty
Bridgit Conway
Chase Courbot
Shayla Dao
Avery Darby
Jake Eisenhauer
Erin Flax
Madison Freeman
Karter Fuller
Nelson Gutsch
Loren Houltberg
Katelee Jennings
Sophie Lenkiewicz
Makenzie Maring
Minerva Martinez
Reed McHenry
Hana North
Avery Regier
Isabella Rubino
Maxwell Shaffer
Braden Stack
Reagan Stein
Salina South High School
Reese Altman
Evie Barth
Kaitlyn Bergmann
Leya Bixby
Mackenzie Bullis
Madalyn Crow
Maya Daily
Lauren Davison
Alexis Doherty
Ayleen Escobedo
Maeci Exline
Morgan Fischer
Diana Geist
Lizbeth Guardado
Megan Householter
Mariah Janda
Hannah Kipp
Tiana Marion
Nathan McConnell
Aum Patel
Lily Pham
Zozen Reitz
Brylee Sader
Emma Smith
Nathan Streeter
Michelle Tran
Travis Truong
Yaritza Vega
Southeast of Saline High School
Makenzie Boley
Tyler Breeding
Kennedy Gottschalk
Taylor McQuillan
Luisa Ortega
Makenna Roths
Spencer Smith
DorothyAnn Sparacino
Grant Stumpf