Four high schools were filled with festive atmospheres as five seniors from three Kansas counties learned on Dec. 8 and 9 that they have full-ride scholarships to Emporia State University to pursue their career goals. A sixth student was awarded a unique scholarship for science education. Each of the students learned the news during assemblies at their high schools.
The third class of the Jones Premier Nursing + Education Scholarships are:
- Emporia High School: Diane Camarena of Emporia, nursing.
- Hartford High School: Maricela Munoz Gardner of Emporia, art education.
- Marais Des Cygnes Valley High School:
- Kadence Masenthin of Melvern, nursing.
- Ella Reed of Waverly, elementary education
- Santa Fe Trail High School: Vanessa Roberts of Carbondale, music education.
Alex Strother of Carbondale, a senior at Santa Fe Trail High School, receives a scholarship from Emporia State’s SMART KS 21 program. SMART KS 21 began in 2023 with a $500,000 grant from the Kansas Legislature to increase the number of students wanting to become math or science teachers.
The Jones Foundation, named after Walter S. and Evan C. Jones, provides qualified, eligible applicants a full ride to pursue a career in education or nursing. Up to six high school seniors — one nursing student and one education student from each of the three counties served by the Jones Foundation (Lyon, Coffey, Osage) — are awarded the Jones Premier Nursing & Education Scholarship.
This prestigious scholarship covers the recipient’s full cost of attendance including tuition, fees, room, board, books, etc., after any other scholarships or grants are applied. The students were selected by a panel who read their essays that answered two questions:
- Why have you chosen to enter the teaching or nursing profession?
- How will the Jones Foundation’s investment in your education help improve lives in your community (Coffey, Lyon, or Osage county)?
The Jones Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to “improving the health and education of eligible Kansans in Coffey, Lyon and Osage counties.”
Each of the six students receives automatic acceptance to ESU’s Honors College.