KU News Release

LAWRENCE — Students from six Kansas high schools will be honored Monday, Jan. 31, by the University of Kansas Alumni Association and KU Endowment.

A total of 45 seniors from high schools in Crawford County will be recognized for their academic achievements and named Kansas Honor Scholars at a 6:30 p.m. dinner and program at Pittsburg State University, Overman Student Center, 1701 South Broadway.

The Kansas Honors Program celebrates its 40th anniversary this year. Since 1971, the program has recognized 114,000 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 41 programs that reach all 105 counties across the state.

During the ceremony, each student will receive an American Heritage Dictionary, in both hardback and electronic versions, presented by Michelle Miles, assistant director of Kansas programs for the KU Alumni Association.

Kevin Corbett, president of the KU Alumni Association, 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. Nancy Scott and Michael Brewer, of Pittsburg, are the site coordinators. Rodney and Karen Odgers, of Pittsburg, are the Crawford County coordinators.

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

Frontenac High School: Michelle Brown, Logan Falletti, Chelsea Harrison, Caitlin McKnight and Zac Palumbo

Girard High School: Ariel Ashbacher, Michaela Bauer, Kaleb Belcher, Darcy Boultinghouse, Ashlee Hisey, Baylee Hisey, Kylie Kunshek, Tori Stewart, Carley (Shaye) Tackett and William Zimmerman

Northeast High School: Amanda Cameron, Lina Hensley, Cole Scott and Joshua Tingley

Pittsburg High School: Jecilyn Antoni, Emma Bailey, Kendra Book, John Matthew Clark, Peyton Coyle, Jordan Eichhorn, Jordan Elliott, Megan Farnsworth, Caeleb Farrington, Michael Giffin, Justin Logan Johnson, Jacob Letner, Robert Scott Martin, Mercedes McGuire, Connor Menghini, Jonathan Nichols, Kyle Schwenker, Heidi Warlop and Zachary Younge

Southeast High School: Kaylyn Hite, Timothy Holden, Amanda McGuire, Dalton Powell and Kavita Sharma

St. Mary’s Colgan High School: Emalee Patterson and Kathleen Sanders