KU to honor 44 high school seniors from 9 Northwest Kansas counties

LAWRENCE — Students from 16 Kansas high schools will be honored Wednesday, April 6, by the University of Kansas Alumni Association and KU Endowment.

A total of 44 seniors from high schools in Cheyenne, Decatur, Gove, Logan, Rawlins, Sheridan, Sherman, Thomas and Wallace counties will be recognized for their academic achievements and named Kansas Honor Scholars at a 7 p.m. dinner and program at the Elks Lodge, 1523 Arcade St., Goodland.

Since 1971, the Kansas Honors Program has recognized over 125,000 scholars who rank in the top 10 percent of their high school senior classes and are selected regardless of occupational plans or higher education goals. Each year, the KU Alumni Association and its volunteers host 36 programs that reach all 105 counties across the state and include approximately 360 high schools.

During the ceremony, each student will receive a Webster’s New College Dictionary and a commemorative certificate.

University of Kansas Chancellor Bernadette Gray-Little, will speak to the students and their parents and guests.

Honored students will be guests of the alumni association and KU Endowment; parents and area alumni are welcome to attend at a cost of $15 each.

Community volunteers collect reservations, coordinate details and serve as local contacts for the event. Rhonda May, of Oberlin, is the site and Decatur County coordinator. Jeff and Nona Mason, of Goodland, are the Sherman and Wallace County coordinators. Sherrie Wiedeman, of Colby, is the Gove, Logan and Sheridan County coordinator. Mike and Brenda Day, of St. Francis, are the Cheyenne County coordinators. Charles and Connie Peckham, of Atwood, are the Rawlins County coordinators. Melissa Stramel, of Colby, is the Thomas County coordinator.

The Kansas Honors Program is made possible by KU Endowment and proceeds from the Jayhawk license plate program. The Class of 2016 scholars:

Cheyenne

Cheylin High School

Devon Janicke - Bird City

Elizabeth Keltz - Bird City

St. Francis Community High School

Jakob Church - St. Francis

Kattie Jenik - St. Francis

Journey Lee - St. Francis

Decatur

Decatur Community High School

Kade Grafel - Oberlin

Jonathon Howland - Oberlin

Gove

Quinter High School

Katelyn Lee - Quinter

Taya Thornburg - Quinter

Wheatland High School

Faith Tuttle - Gove

Hannah Waldman - Park

Kirsten Zerr - Grinnell

Logan

Oakley High School

Madeline Flipse - Oakley

Collin Sharpe - Monument

Michelle Stoeker - Oakley

Cole Zimmerman - Oakley

Triplains High School

Ryan Gfeller - Winona

Lily Mays - Wallace

Fred Schertz - Monument

Rawlins

Rawlins County High School

Olivia Chvatal - Atwood

William Lawson - Ludell

Sheridan

Hoxie High School

Terran Hoyt - Hoxie

Taylore Schamberger - Hoxie

Sherman

Goodland High School

Faith Biermann - Goodland

Kat Boyington - Goodland

Alinexis Castillo-Lozano - Goodland

Rheagan Hageman - Goodland

Kylee Martin - Goodland

Quynnalynn Meyer - Goodland

Katlyn Seeger - Goodland

Thomas

Brewster High School

Taylyr Cheatum - Brewster

Rachel Friess - Brewster

Colby High School

Bryce Arnberger - Colby

Andrea Browne - Colby

Rachel Browne - Colby

Allison Friesen - Colby

Julie Schroeder - Colby

Elissa Zerr - Colby

Golden Plains High School

Kami Miller - Rexford

Madison Walz - Rexford

Heartland Christian School

Caleb Morris - Colby

Wallace

Wallace County High School

Alexis Bergquist - Goodland

Weskan High School

Peter Cress - Weskan

McKenna Hale – Weskan.