KU to honor 24 high school seniors from Graham, Norton, Osborne, Phillips, Smith counties

LAWRENCE — Students from 10 Kansas high schools will be honored Thursday, April 7, by the University of Kansas Alumni Association and KU Endowment.

A total of 24 seniors from high schools in Graham, Norton, Osborne, Phillips and Smith counties will be recognized for their academic achievements and named Kansas Honor Scholars at a 6:30 p.m. dinner and program at the Dane G. Hansen Memorial Plaza Community Room, 110 W. Main St., Logan.

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.

Don Steeples, McGee Distinguished Professor of Applied Geophysics 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. Rob Wenzl, of Phillipsburg, is the site coordinator and the Graham and Phillips County coordinator. Steven Weltmer, of Smith Center, is the Smith County coordinator. Tom Baumann, of Norton, is the Norton County coordinator. Philip Hardman, of Osborne, is the Osborne County coordinator. Carol Bales, of Logan, is a coordinator for the program.

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

Graham

Hill City High School

Amanda Conway - Hill City

Lexie McDowell - Hill City

Norton

Northern Valley High School

Shayna Vincent - Long Island

Norton Community High School

Casey Ambrosier - Norton

Philip Boutwell - Norton

Weston Erbert - Norton

Lauren Mordecai - Norton

Raenee Patterson - Norton

Valery Rostek - Norton

Osborne

Lakeside High School

Benjamin Boersma - Cawker City

Erin Brown - Downs

Sheila Elmore - Downs

Natoma High School

Dean Masters - Natoma

Osborne High School

Brittany Grabast - Osborne

Phillips

Logan High School

Regan Kats - Prairie View

Phillipsburg High School

Jillian Gibson - Agra

Suzanne Huntley - Phillipsburg

Elizabeth Leidig - Phillipsburg

Hannah Peak - Kirwin

Orianna Ratzlaff - Phillipsburg

Smith

Smith Center High School

Macy Nixon - Smith Center

Michelle Palmer - Kensington

Bailey Strine - Lebanon

Thunder Ridge High School

Darah Portenier – Kirwin.