The Kansas Bankers Association (KBA) is pleased to announce the recipients of 11 scholarships awarded by the Kansas Bankers Educational Foundation (KBEF), a 501(c) 3 corporation created and operated by the KBA. Three scholarships were awarded to children of Kansas bankers and eight scholarships were awarded to students who are currently enrolled in one of two Kansas colleges/universities that offer banking-specific degrees and/or concentrations. All scholarship winners received $1,000 each.
CHILDREN OF KANSAS BANKERS SCHOLARSHIPS
Isaac Hong
Kansas State University
Mother: Vanessa Bowlin, Universal Banker for Legacy Bank in Wichita
Isaac will be a junior at K-State this fall, and he is majoring in Entrepreneurship & Innovation. After pursuing his degree, Isaac hopes to help make the family business, Hong’s Landscape and Nursery, even more successful before launching his own business.
Reid Hughes
University of Kansas
Father: Scott Hughes, Vice President at Silver Lake Bank in Topeka
Reid will be a junior at KU this fall and is majoring in Finance. Upon graduation, Reid is looking forward to a thriving career in banking or other financial services.
Halle Latham
Kansas State University
Mother: Amber McCauley, Vice President/Chief Operating Officer at Lyons Federal Bank in Lyons
Halle will be a junior at K-State this fall, majoring in finance with a certificate in data analytics. She is considering a career in banking after college.
COLLEGE/UNIVERSITY BANKING SCHOLARSHIPS
Christian Sanchez
Fort Hays State University, Robbins Banking Institute
Christian Sanchez will be a senior majoring in finance with a banking concentration. Christian is hoping to use his knowledge of finance to step into the real estate arena and become a mortgage consultant or commercial lender at a bank in Kansas upon graduation.
Christopher Fitzgerald
Fort Hays State University, Robbins Banking Institute
Chris Fitzgerald will be a junior majoring in finance with a certificate in banking. Chris plans to continue his career in banking in Western Kansas after graduation. He is currently working for First Kansas Bank in Hays and hopes to continue his career there.
Kyle Lampert
Fort Hays State University, Robbins Banking Institute
Kyle Lampert will be a junior majoring in finance with a banking concentration. His goal upon graduation is to pursue a career in banking in Kansas. Since a young age, he has been intrigued by finance and financial analytics and is eager to apply the knowledge and skills learned at the Robbins Banking Institute in a professional setting.
Leyton Cure
Fort Hays State University, Robbins Banking Institute
Leyton Cure will be a junior majoring in finance with a concentration on financial planning. Upon graduation, he plans to pursue a job as a financial planner at a bank in rural Kansas so he can help people prepare for their future endeavors.
Kort Mattison
Byron G. Thompson Center for Integrity in Finance and Economics, Benedictine College
Kort is from Topeka and will be graduating in December 2024 with a degree in finance. He plans to pursue opportunities within the banking and investment industry. He is inspired by the banking career of his grandfather who helped establish debit and credit cards at the National Bank of Commerce and First Federal Bank of Lincoln, Nebraska.
John Welte
Byron G. Thompson Center for Integrity in Finance and Economics, Benedictine College
John is a native of Atchison and is pursuing a double major in economics and philosophy. Upon graduation, he hopes to attend law school and pursue work in government and possibly elected political office, at which time he will be happy to use his understanding of law and economics to represent the interests of Kansas bankers.
Courtney Gaylord
Byron G. Thompson Center for Integrity in Finance and Economics, Benedictine College
Courtney grew up and still resides in Wichita, KS. She will graduate in May 2024 with a degree in finance. As she moved on to higher education, she decided to pursue a degree in finance in order to put her love of numbers to use. In the future, she hopes to be able to assist her accounting clients understand the importance of managing their money and building their assets.
Thomas Doyle
Byron G. Thompson Center for Integrity in Finance and Economics, Benedictine College
Thomas is from Topeka, KS and going into his senior year at Benedictine College where he is double majoring in finance and philosophy. He recently received the honor of being the first-ever intern at CoreFirst Bank in the corporate headquarters in Topeka for this upcoming summer as a financial advising intern. His plan after graduation is to attend law school and then hopefully go into a long career in the fields of wealth management and trust advisory.
