Last month, 27 Johnson County high school students were awarded full-tuition scholarships to attend Johnson County Community College (JCCC) during the 2025-2026 academic year.
The prestigious First Year President’s Scholarship provides a full tuition and $300 textbook scholarship to the top students from each Johnson County high school.
To be considered for President’s Scholarships, students must be attending a Johnson County high school, have a grade point average (GPA) of 3.5 or higher, and complete a scholarship application. Incoming Johnson County home-schooled students and GED graduates with a 3.5 GPA or higher are also considered.
The average cost of college for in-state students in Kansas is $19,500, according to the Education Data Initiative. 2025 data shows that around one in eight college students nationwide receive a scholarship to help cover the cost of college, but more than 97% of scholarships are for $2,500 or less. Full-tuition scholarships are rare nowadays — only awarded to around 0.1% of students nationwide.
A surprise for the students
The First-Year President’s Scholarship recipients applied in the Spring, but did not know if they were awarded the scholarship until May.
“It is so fulfilling to see how a student’s hard work and dedication in high school can propel their college journey,” said Ashley Jost, JCCC Supervisor of Scholarships, Communication & Outreach. “There is nothing that compares to seeing the excitement when we surprise a student with this amazing scholarship. We are proud that they chose JCCC and want to celebrate their achievement with this esteemed honor!”
Members of the JCCC Admissions team worked closely with counselors at the various high schools to surprise the Presidential Scholars in front of classmates, staff, administration, and family members. The surprises took place during schoolwide awards ceremonies, in counseling offices, classrooms, and even during a choir class at Shawnee Mission West, where the student was serenaded and celebrated by classmates.
Scholarship awardees
Fall 2025 President’s Scholarships were awarded to the following students:
Blue Valley School District
- Rory Robertson Place
- Gabriel Mateo Aguirre Teran
- Christopher Clapham
- Luke Christopher Chaput
- Omkar Bhagane
Olathe Public Schools
- Macy Orrick
- John Bradley McCauley
- Baylen Kungseth Baccam
- Naomi Theleman
- Keira Christine Thon
Shawnee Mission School District
- Adalynn Rose Nicks
- Michael Anthony Evola
- Jenna Rutherford
- Adelaide Elizabeth Brown
- Lucy Kliethermes
Unified School District 232
- Kyla Lynn Jacobs
- Henry Anderson
- Laiyah Kirkpatrick
Gardner Edgerton School District
- Connor Joseph Postel
Spring Hill School District
- Zachary David Vasser
Private high schools, homeschool, and other
- Isaac Eshelbrenner
- Jonas Paul Gill
- Aubrey Kelleen Mullet
- Emmaline Rachel Heimann
- Jacob Joseph Lira
- Bryant Sanchez
- Emmie Holton
Once awarded, recipients must enroll in 12 or more credit hours at JCCC each semester to maintain their scholarship. The First Year President’s Scholarship can be renewed for a second year if students enroll full-time and earn a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher.
Learn more
When it comes to making college accessible and affordable, JCCC offers students a quality education without asking them to compromise their financial security. That’s why millions of dollars in scholarships, including this one, are awarded each year to qualified students. Learn more at jccc.edu/scholarships.
