For nearly three decades, Hershel and Augusta Shepherd’s magnanimity and commitment to academic excellence have allowed Emporia State University to recognize and aid more than 300 outstanding upperclassmen through the Shepherd University Scholars program.
The 12 recipients for 2024 were honored Thursday, April 4, in the Shepherd Scholars Recognition Ceremony and Reception at the Sauder Alumni Center’s Butcher-Boertman Hall on the ESU campus. This year’s scholarship winners feature nine native Kansans, including four students from Emporia, and three international students.
Augusta (BSB 44-Business Administration) and Hershel Shepherd began the Shepherd Scholars program in 1994 through a shared desire to give students encouragement in their educational journeys and reward their exemplary dedication to their academic work. Over the years, the family continued to grow the scholarships. Even after their passing, Augusta and Hershel’s children — Jim Shepherd, Joyce French and her late husband Craig, and Judy Hawkins and her husband David — have continued to contribute generously to the Shepherd Scholars Fund.
The Shepherds also contributed to the construction of the Shepherd Music Center in Beach Hall and Hutchinson Pavilion in Welch Stadium.
“Giving these students the wherewithal to help them stay in school has been part of the guiding light behind us,” Joyce French said. “The joy for us is to see the professors talk about the students and help the school graduate amazing citizens and people.”
As one of the university’s premier scholarship programs, the Shepherd University Scholarship carries stringent eligibility requirements: students must be Emporia State juniors who have completed at least 60 credit hours of coursework, carry a cumulative grade-point average of at least 3.0, and have at least two semesters’ worth of coursework remaining before graduation. Recipients are selected by a committee of ESU’s Roe R. Cross Distinguished Faculty, which reviews all applications and reference letters.
At Thursday’s ceremony, Dr. Gary Wyatt, associate provost and dean of the Honors College, introduced ESU faculty members who, in turn, recognized the dozen Shepherd Scholars and explained why they were deserving of the awards. After making their acceptance speeches, the recipients were given certificates.
Hearing professors’ heartfelt comments about the scholarship recipients is a highlight of the annual ceremony, French said.
“Through the years, I have seen Shepherd Scholarship winners, and others who have graduated from ESU, that professors have given trajectories that change those kids’ worlds,” she said. “That's one of the things I love about the professors introducing the students (during the ceremony). The university has done an amazing job of presenting these scholarships.”
The faculty committee also selects one recipient from among the Shepherd Scholars to receive the Roe R. Cross Distinguished Professors Award, which is awarded for the highest achievement. This year’s winner was Kimiya Noor.
The 2024 Shepherd Scholars are:
- Camilla Carrillo of Emporia, a biology major with a concentration in healthcare.
- Anna Hovious of Emporia, a biology major with a concentration in ecology and biodiversity.
- Alyssa Jensen of Washington, Kansas, a communication major with a minor in marketing and a concentration in organizational communication.
- Gwendal Mazuay of Aire La Ville, Switzerland, an information systems and analytics major with a concentration in cybersecurity analytics.
- Sarah McDonald of Emporia, a psychology major.
- Kimiya Noor of Emporia, who is a Biochemistry & Molecular Biology major and is minoring in Physics with a concentration in Pre-medicine.
- Anastasia Pesic of Spring, South Africa, a business data analytics major.
- Ethan Pruitt of Hiawatha, Kansas, a psychology major with a minor in mathematics.
- Kaitlyn Rosemary Seiwert of Douglass, Kansas, a psychology major with a minor in art.
- Sidney Shelby of Iola, Kansas, a health and human performance major
- Camila Viorel of La Paz, Bolivia, a Crime & Delinquency Studies major with a minor in geography.
- Emma Wilson of McPherson, Kansas, an elementary education major.