KU News Release

KU to honor 72 seniors from high schools in eight SW Kansas counties Oct. 8

LAWRENCE — Students from 16 Kansas high schools will be honored Wednesday, Oct. 8, by the University of Kansas Alumni Association and KU Endowment.

A total of 59 seniors from high schools in Clark, Comanche, Ford, Gray, Hodgeman, Kiowa, Meade and Ness counties will be recognized for their academic achievements and named Kansas Honor Scholars at a 6:30 p.m. dinner program at Dodge City Community College-Student Union Ballroom, 2501 N. 14th Ave., Dodge City.

The Kansas Honors Program began in 1971 and has honored more than 100,000 students. Scholars rank in the top 10 percent of their high school senior classes and are selected regardless of curricula, majors, occupational plans or higher-education goals.

During the ceremony, each student will receive an American Heritage Dictionary in hardcover and CD versions, presented by KU Alumni Association representative Stefani Gerson, student programs coordinator.

David Johnston, KU alumni director of marketing and Internet services, 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 $12 each.

Community volunteers collect reservations, coordinate details and serve as local contacts for the event. County coordinators are Robert and Sally McNicke, Ashland, for Clark County; Liz Ballard, Haviland, for Comanche and Kiowa counties; Philip and Patricia Ridenour, Cimarron, for Gray County; Richard Sorem, Jetmore, for Hodgeman County; and Lynn Chance, Fowler, for Meade County. Michelle Miles, assistant director of alumni programs at KU, is serving as coordinator for Ford and Ness counties.

The Kansas Honors Program is made possible through KU Endowment and proceeds from the Jayhawk license plate program.

Honorees’ names are listed here by their high school.

Ashland High School: Ann Clawson and Andrew Reimer

Bucklin High School: Kasey Copeland and Emily Schneweis

Cimarron High School: Joel Baublits, Matt Baublits, Cory Gleason, Jordan Toothaker and Lindsay Underwood

Dodge City High School: Lindsay Astleford, Nallely Barron Garcia, Rachel Botten, Casey Brauer, Candy Cabral Fajardo, Mason Combs, Lisa Debes, Andrew Denton, Shanah Gaskill, Mitchell Goedeken, Olivia Gonzalez, Slade Grund, Katelyn Hamilton, Brock Helfrich, Guadalupe Hernandez, Mariah Hostetler, Jennifer Kephart, Angela Kessen, Linh Le, Jair Lopez, Alejandro Macedo, Sydney Matheny, Jessica Minjarez, Roxanna Montes, Margarita Morales, Jennie Nguyen, Brenda Orellana, Aubrey Owens, Abigail Pflughoeft, Morgan Ratts, Melissa Roetzer, Wesley Rostetter, Lauren Rumbaugh, Samantha Shirley, Ariel Snyder, Hillary Snyder, Daniel Weller and Jordan Williamson

Fowler High School: Becca Goff and Jared Harris

Greensburg High School: Shane Engelken and Taylor Schmidt

Haviland High School: Ashley Darnell

Ingalls High School: Tiffany Beavers

Jetmore High School: Kyle Nuss, Jessilyn Ochs and Gregory Shuler

Meade High School: Dana Loewen, Amber Padgett, Ashley Reimer and Gabrielle Reimer

Minneola High School: Jennifer Curry, Madison Riley and Trevor Yost

Ness City High School: Dustin Schuler

South Central High School: Carmen Thompson

South Gray High School: Heather Gibson, Marisa Love and Chet Skinner

Spearville High School: Sara Doll and Joshua Renner

Western Plains High School: Valarie Foos and Wende Witthuhn

-30-

The University of Kansas is a major comprehensive research and teaching university. University Relations is the central public relations office for KU's Lawrence campus.