Local students selected for Kansas Honors Program
Thirty-three high school seniors from Jackson and Nemaha counties will be honored next month in Holton by the Kansas Honors Program for their academic achievements, it was reported.
The University of Kansas Alumni Association and the KU Endowment Association will again present the Honors Program dinner at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 24 at First United Methodist Church, 1401 W. Fourth St. in Holton. This year’s featured speaker will be Dr. Bernie Kish, director of facilities and School of Education lecturer at KU.
The Kansas Honors Program, a KU tradition since 1971, recognizes and awards high school seniors for their academic achievements. Each year, KU alumni gather in more than three dozen locations across the state for an awards ceremony and honorary dinner or reception.
All high-school seniors who rank academically in the top 10 percent of their class are asked to attend as guests of the Alumni Association with their parents, principals and superintendents. In the program’s four-decade history, the Association has honored more than 125,000 exceptional high school seniors.
This year’s honored students include:
* Holton High School: Joshua Bjelland, Alexandria Bontrager, Kaden Brandt, Madeline Foster, Abigail Heitzman, Shari Riley, Sonora Sheldon and Hayley Thompson.
* Jackson Heights High School: Joel Nelson, Jonathan Reiff and Logan Rethman.
* Royal Valley High School: Johnathan Beckerman, Kate Hanson, Brittany Lake, Derek Linn, Macy Putnam and Noah Rottinghaus.
* Wetmore High School: Elizabeth Hutfles.
* Centralia High School: Chelsea Huerter, Drew Kramer and Mayda Stallbaumer.
* Nemaha Central High School: Cheyanne Davis, Paul Deters, Jenna Macke, Micah Meyer, Karen Rivera-Cobian and Keegan Schmelzle.
* Sabetha High School: Nolan Brey, Mariah Huneke, Jordan Longabaugh, Alexis McAfee, Lindsay Meyer and Jena Winkler.
Each Kansas Honor Scholar receives a certificate and a special edition of Webster’s New College Dictionary, and has a chance to qualify for a $4,000 scholarship to KU. Scholars are selected based on academic records through the previous semester that are provided by high school principals, and selections are made regardless of curricula (weighted or non-weighted), majors, occupational plans or higher-education goals.
Matt and Paula Taylor of Holton are the site and Jackson County coordinators. Erika Buessing of Seneca is Nemaha County coordinator. Students and parents are asked to make their dinner reservations through their respective county coordinators.
Honored students will be guests of the Alumni Association and the Endowment Association; there is a $15 charge for the program and meal for parents, supporters and KU alumni. For more information, contact Michelle Lang, director of alumni and Kansas Honors Programs, at (785) 864-9767 by Wednesday, Feb. 17.
Community and alumni cooperation make these annual programs positive community events that focus attention on the students and the high schools for achievement in their academic endeavors. For more information about the Kansas Honors Program, contact the KU Alumni Association at (800) 584-2957.
