At the senior awards assembly on Wednesday, May 19, 2021, the following awards and scholarships were presented.
Tammy Garth, Financial Aid Officer from Seward County Community College, presented the Presidential Scholarship to Erika Carrillo. This award is based on GPA, recommendations, and will be for books and tuition. Ruby Terrazas from Southern Pioneer Electric presented scholarships to Sarah Headrick and Shelby Sutherland. Devin Ramsey from the Seward County 4-H Council presented a scholarship to Charlee Cochran. Pricilla Enriquez, HR Director of Seaboard Foods, presented a scholarship to Sarah Headrick. Jonathan Reazin from MKC presented a scholarship to Sarah Headrick. And Jamie Sobata, a representative from the Desk and Derrick Club of Liberal, presented a scholarship to Jace Bost. Other area scholarship winners were Noemi Jacquez, receiving the Pheasant Heaven Charities Scholarship, Noemi Jacquez, Harley Johnson, and Shelby Sutherland all received schoolarships from the Community Foundation of Southwest Kansas. The St. Patrick’s Catholic Church Altar Society awarded their scholarships based on the following criteria: a student who is an active member of the St Patrick’s Catholic Church, who works to potential, who is a good citizen, and has leadership qualities. This year’s scholarship recipients were Makenzie Arellano, Sergio Puentes, Clarissa Sanchez, and Owen Vajnar. Kismet United Methodist Church awarded a scholarship to Sarah Headrick. The National FFA and Ford Motor Company will be awarding a Built Ford Tough scholarship to Charlee Cochran and Harley Johnson. This award is sponsored by Foss Ford Motor in Liberal, Kansas and DeLissa Ford in Meade, Kansas. These two young ladies will also receive an FFA Alumni and Community Support Scholarship. Noemi Jacquez was awarded a Hagan Foundation Scholarship, which provides up to $6,000 a semester to pay unmet educational costs. Garden City Community College awarded a certificate to Heidy Mercado for being one of two students to win their Presidential Ambassador Scholarship. Finally, the WW Orrison, MD Memorial Scholarship, which is presented to a first-semester Kansas college student with the highest GPA, was presented to Esmeralda Duran, who attends Seward County Community College.
Aside from the scholarships presented, many awards were given to honor students for their achievements. Owen Vajnar was presented with a Certificate for Exceptional Academic Performance for being a Kansas ACT Scholar for achieving a composite score of 32 or above. The students ranking in the top 10% of their graduating class based on their cumulative grade point average were recognized as Kansas Honor Students, each receiving a medal and certificate. The students recognized were: Sarah Headrick, Noemi Jacquez, Bryant Olvera, and Shelby Sutherland. Valedictorians, Sarah Headrick, Noemi Jacquez and Shelby Sutherland, and Salutatorian, Bryant Olvera, received honorary certificates and medals for earning those titles. The Kansas Board of Regents Curriculum completers were recognized for having completed the curriculum set by the Kansas Board of Regents as the Kansas Scholars’ Curriculum. This includes completing 4 years of English, 4 years of Math, 3 years of Science (Biology, Chemistry, and Physics), 3 years of Social Science, and 2 years of Foreign Language. The seniors recognized were Susana Carrillo, Sarah Headrick, Bryant Olvera, Clarissa Sanchez, and Shelby Sutherland. Of these five students, Susana Carrillo, Sarah Headrick, and Bryant Olvera have been designated as Kansas State Scholars based on their ACT scores and GPA. They will have the opportunity to complete the Kansas State Scholarship. The Dale Dennis Excellence in Education Award which has been established by the Kansas School Administrators as a state-wide award to honor Dale Dennis for his long and valuable service to Kansas education. Mr. Dennis has helped provide the leadership for financial support and academic excellence in Kansas schools. In selecting student recipients state-wide, the following criteria were considered: Citizenship, Service, Scholarship, and Common Sense. This year, Sarah Headrick was selected for this award. The students that competed at the State Scholars Bowl Tournament were recognized with Certificates of Outstanding Achievement from the Kansas State High School Activities Association for placing 3rd. Those students were Alexandra ARinaga, Audrey Ball, Judith Soto, Sydnie Underwood, Owen Vajnar, and Taylor Vermillion. The final award was the Iron Mustang Award, which is given to students who participate in 3 sports for 4 years in high school. The award recipients this year were Hever Mercado and Sergio Puentes.
