KU to honor 50 high school seniors from 4 Central Kansas counties
LAWRENCE — Students from nine Kansas high schools will be honored Thursday, Oct. 8, by the University of Kansas Alumni Association and KU Endowment.
A total of 50 seniors from high schools in Ellis, Rooks, Russell and Trego counties will be recognized for their academic achievements and named Kansas Honor Scholars at a 6:30 p.m. dinner and program at Hays High School, 2300 E. 13th St., Hays.
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.
Bernie Kish, director of facilities & lecturer for the School of Education at the University of Kansas, 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. Jessica Younker, of Hays, is the site coordinator. Alan and Lori Moore, of Hays, are the Ellis County coordinators. Tom and Cassie Nuckols, of Plainville, are the Rooks County coordinators. Nancy Lane, of Russell, is the coordinator for Russell and Trego counties.
The Kansas Honors Program is made possible by KU Endowment and proceeds from the Jayhawk license plate program. The Class of 2016 scholars:
Ellis
Ellis High School
Erianna Basgall - Ellis
Dylan Haas - Ellis
Sintia Jiménez - Ellis
Amy Paige Molstad - Ellis
Brianna Rohr - Ellis
Rylee Torline - Ellis
Hays High School
Kinsey Ackerman - Hays
Chelsey Augustine - Hays
Taylor DeBoer - Hays
Kacie Engel - Hays
Brooke Forinash - Hays
Brianna Galliardt - Hays
Morgan Klaus - Hays
Bethany Kuhn - Hays
Benjamin Morley - Hays
Madelyn Norris - Hays
Caleb Pfeifer - Hays
Gage Phillips - Hays
Trenton Potter - Hays
Kirsten Prindle - Hays
Scott Ring - Hays
Jared Thom - Hays
Nikki Vuong - Hays
Raeleann Weigel - Hays
Sylina Zhang - Hays
Thomas More Prep-Marian High School
Kelsie DeWitt - Hays
Justin Pfeifer - Hays
Melissa Pfeifer - Hays
Jared Vitztum - Hays
Morgan Weber - Hays
Tyra Younie - Hays
Victoria High School
Brady Dinkel - Victoria
Joeseph Dortland - Gorham
Rooks
Palco High School
Dene Dryden - Palco
Plainville High School
Brooklyn Eilers - Plainville
Gunner Kerns - Plainville
Ashton Royer - Plainville
Amalia Werner - Codell
Stockton High School
Andrea Buss - Stockton
Daylan Carlson - Stockton
Donald Riffel - Stockton
Alexis Winklepleck - Stockton
Russell
Russell High School
Megan Boxberger - Russell
Kyleigh Kasper - Russell
Julia Oste - Russell
Chase Prester - Russell
Kyle Rourke - Russell
Trego
Trego Community High School
Audra Bergquist - Wakeeney
Mariah Brungardt - Wakeeney
Aaran Satran - Ogallah.