Shawnee Mission School District juniors and seniors will end this week with even more doors open to the future.
This week, through Scholarship Shawnee Mission, a program offered by the Shawnee Mission Education Foundation, these students received more than $5.7 Billion in scholarship offers from colleges and universities from across the country.
During celebrations at five Shawnee Mission high schools, students received letters outlining scholarships they would receive if they chose to attend a certain school.
After opening his letter, SM North senior Marcello Nash said he was feeling great about the future.
“After high school, I’m probably going to look back on this experience and think ‘This is where they helped me take the next step,’” Nash reflected.
The Shawnee Mission Education Foundation believes all students should be recruited by colleges and universities without the financial and psychological barriers implicit in the application process.
“Colleges and universities across the country know that Shawnee Mission students are well prepared for their next steps when they graduate,” noted Kim Hinkle, executive director of the Shawnee Mission Education Foundation. “We are thrilled to honor our students and their many years of hard work and provide a bridge to their very bright futures.”
Scholarship Shawnee Mission was first presented to support Shawnee Mission students in 2019. Since then, Shawnee Mission students have collectively received more than $16 billion in scholarship offers. An increasing number of higher education institutions have joined the program since it began, and this year 66 partners participated. Scholarship Shawnee Mission benefits both the colleges and universities and the students because the schools present themselves to students who may not have yet considered their school. Students then have the opportunity to explore schools they may not have thought about exploring yet, according to Ed Márquez, program officer for the Shawnee Mission Education Foundation.
“With this information, students can now start looking more deeply at what they are going to study, what kind of school it is, how big it is, and all of the other factors that play a part in making the decision about their future plans,” Márquez added.
At Shawnee Mission Northwest, a banner was unveiled to announce that students had earned $1,194,295,297 in scholarship offers. It meant a lot to get to experience the banner reveal with classmates, noted senior Alex Houghtlin.
“We have so many smart, involved, and kind people in our grade,” Houghtlin expressed. “There are very few times when you get to experience something like that with the people you have gone to school with since you were all little together. It was a cool feeling!”
After students received their letters, they were able to visit with representatives from various colleges and universities. Though he had some idea of where he would apply, Easton Volk explained he also visited a few tables representing schools he had not thought about yet.
“I definitely went over to those tables to see what they were about,” he said. “It’s crazy just to see how many opportunities there actually are.”
Superintendent Dr. Michael Schumacher noted how the cost of college continues to rise and how this event supports the district’s objective to help every student to be college and career ready.
“This is a great chance for our students to be great consumers of their post-secondary education,” Schumacher expressed. “Anything we can do, along with this partnership with the Shawnee Mission Education Foundation, to help lower the cost of college education is just incredible for our students.”
Participation in Scholarship Shawnee Mission is optional. Parents opt their students into the program. If parents have questions about the program, they can contact Ed Marquez at edwardmarquez@smsd.org.
About the Shawnee Mission Education Foundation
The Shawnee Mission Education Foundation’s mission is to advance scholarship and leadership, to enable all Shawnee Mission students to achieve their potential. The Foundation believes all students deserve equitable access to education including academics, leadership, and social and emotional learning.
Through a strong partnership with the Shawnee Mission School District, the Foundation provides countless opportunities for our students from early childhood to high school, college and career. The Foundation is proud to support District initiatives, educational enhancement opportunities, as well as Foundation-sponsored programs, including Scholarship Shawnee Mission, Leadership Shawnee Mission, Real World Learning, Excellence in Education (E2) Teacher Grants, The Shawnee Mission Cares Fund, and Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.
For more information, visit www.smef.org
About the Shawnee Mission School District
Shawnee Mission School District is the third largest school district in Kansas. The district serves students in Pre-Kindergarten through 12th grade in 34 elementary schools, five middle schools, five high schools, and several educational centers. It has been consistently ranked among the finest school districts nationwide for its high student performance. The district’s objective is that each student will have a personalized learning plan that will prepare them for college and careers, with the interpersonal skills they need for life success. The district serves a diverse student population from 14 cities within northeast Johnson County, Kansas, which is 10 miles from downtown Kansas City, Missouri.
For more information, visit www.smsd.org.
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