Kansas Professional Communicators

Scholarships

The Kansas Professional Communicators Scholarship Program awards four $500 scholarships each year to students in communication programs at the University of Kansas, Kansas State University, Wichita State University and Fort Hays State University.

The merit-based scholarships are awarded to students entering their senior year. Scholarship winners are announced during the Patron/Scholarship luncheon at the annual Kansas Professional Communicators Spring Conference.

Applications are available in early spring from each communication school.

Scholarships are funded by gifts from our Patrons, a portion of membership dues, gifts from past presidents and income from KPC investments.

Two scholarships, the Abels-Ankeny Scholarship and the Mamie Boyd Scholarship, are named to honor two of our founding members. In addition to being a founder, Mamie Boyd was the first Kansas member to serve as President of the National Federation of Press Women with whom we are affiliated.

The other scholarships are the Past Presidents Scholarship and the Kansas Professional Communicators Scholarship.

KPC 2011 scholarship winners

Four students were honored at the annual spring conference of the Kansas Professional Communicators held April 30 at Capitol Plaza Hotel in Topeka. “Celebrating 70 years of Synergy” was the theme. The recipients from the Kansas Board of Regents universities
were:

Ann Hoskinson- Wichita State University

Ann is a senior at WSU, majoring in communications, ethnic studies and graphic design. She has come a long way since her days as an at-risk youth growing up in foster homes in California. Her first attempt at college was not supported by her mother, who was functionally illiterate. In her second attempt, at age 30, Ann enrolled in Fullerton College, where she earned an associate degree in liberal studies with an emphasis in journalism. She made the president’s list, received the Golden Hornet award for Journalist of the Year, published poetry in various school publications, and interned for Primedia publishing. She received the Sandra Baird Allen Memorial Scholarship. After graduation, she worked as an advertising sales assistant and her feature stories were published in national magazines. Ann went on to work for the Los Angeles Times advertising department. She is now completing a bachelor’s degree at Wichita State, where she has contributed to The Sunflower, WSU’s campus newspaper, as a graphic designer. Ann received a Kansas Associated Collegiate Press award for ad design, and Armstrong Shank Creative Award, and L. A. Wallace Scholarship. Following graduation, she hopes to open a marketing boutique, catering to small businesses offering bilingual services. Ann is married and the mother of two children.

Sara Sneath - University of Kansas

Sara is earning a Bachelor of Science degree in journalism and sociology from KU, where she expects to graduate in May 2013. She has served in the U.S. Marine Corps as an aviation radar repairman. She has also served as a Marine embassy security guard in Accra, Ghana, where she was awarded a certificate of commendation; in Quito, Ecuador, where she earned another commendation and learned Spanish; and in Milan, Italy. She is a student assistant and maintains social media for the KU Veterans Services Office. Sara’s extracurricular activities include acting as communications officer and maintaining social media for the Collegiate Veterans Association. She is also a correspondent for the University Daily Kansan student newspaper, is involved with the USMC Toys for Tots program, and is a member of the Feminist Book Club. Sara has been accepted to the East Meets West study abroad program in Turkey. Following graduation, she would like to work for a travel magazine and eventually work for The Economist magazine.

Kelsey Castañon - Kansas State University

A junior at KSU, Kelsey is majoring in journalism/mass communication with an emphasis in print journalism and a minor in leadership studies. She has worked as a copy editor for the K-State Collegian student newspaper. Currently, she holds the positions of features desk editor for the Edge portion of the Collegian and editor of the seasonal “guides” portions that cover special events such as graduation and spring break. Kelsey is also a staff writer. She will earn her Bachelor of Arts degree in May 2012 and her career goal is to work for a magazine publishing company as a writer/editor. Among her college activities and memberships at K-State are Chi Omega sorority, the National Society of Collegiate Scholars, Wildcats Forever, Cats for a Cure, and the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Jessica M. Walters - Ft. Hays State University

Jessica is a senior, majoring in communications studies with an emphasis in journalism at FHSU. She has worked as a staff writer and photographer at the Ulysses News & Vendor newspaper since 2007. She has also worked for the Humane Society of the High Plains since 2007 doing everything from cleaning kennels and administering vaccinations, to helping customers choose a pet, to a wide variety of administrative duties. Following graduation with a Bachelor of Arts degree in December 2011, Jessica plans to continue her education by earning an Associate of Science degree in veterinary technology, to become more knowledgeable about animals and their needs. Her career objective is to use her education to help support and promote a nonprofit animal shelter. Jessica is the recipient of an FHSU Copper Academic Award.

For more information, contact Deb Umberger.