KU News Release

LAWRENCE — Students from 15 Kansas high schools will be honored Wednesday, April 6, by the University of Kansas Alumni Association and KU Endowment.

A total of 48 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 Gateway Civic Center, 1 Morgan Drive, Oberlin.

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.

Don Steeples, the McGee Distinguished Professor of Applied Geophysics, 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 coordinator and Decatur County coordinator. Jeff and Nona Mason, of Goodland, are the Sherman County coordinators. Sherrie Wiedeman, of Colby, is the coordinator for Gove, Logan and Sheridan counties. 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 coordinator of Thomas and Wallace counties.

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

Brewster High School: Whitney Schultz

Cheylin High School: Christopher Walden

Colby High School: Brittany Bange, Amanda Barnum, Megan Dougherty, Audra Fleming, Kayla Hockersmith, Laura Juenemann, Katrina Kaus, Samuel Kendrick, Bailey Koerperich, Sara Martin, Tera Raymond, Shanell Sager, Anna Taylor and Shelby Terrell

Decatur Community High School: Jacob Helm, Jacob Larue and Carissa Wentz

Golden Plains High School: Lucas Phillips, Devinn Ritter and Avery Spresser

Goodland High School: Hazen Deeds, Nathan Deeds, Jade Herl, Kayler Rietcheck, Nicholas Thomas and Brock Wilkens

Hoxie High School: Brittney Reed and Dillon Salmans

Oakley High School: Merabeth Corbett, Hanna Hubert, Dayna Kuhlman, Joshua Llewellyn and Patrick Loftus.
Quinter High School: Macy Ziegler and Hayley Funk.
Rawlins County High School: Rebecca Reuther, Jessica Riener and Megan Van Laeys

St. Francis Community High School: Mikaela Grace, Brooks Hobrock and Cody Sherlock

Triplains High School: Conley Moorhous

Wallace County High School: Taylor Weinland

Weskan High School: Brynne Hale

Wheatland High School: Alysia Schwarz and Dayna Shaw