The Kansas Bankers Association (KBA) is pleased to announce the recipients of fourteen scholarships awarded by the Kansas Bankers Educational Foundation (KBEF), a 501(c)(3) corporation created and operated by the KBA. Six scholarships were awarded to children of Kansas bankers, one scholarship was awarded to a student with a banker reference letter, and seven scholarships were awarded to students who are currently enrolled in one of two Kansas colleges/universities that offer banking-specific degrees and/or concentrations.
Children of Kansas Bankers Scholarships
Anexi Gaucin
Kansas State University
Father: Noel Gaucin, Vice President at Fidelity State Bank and Trust Company, Dodge City
Anexi graduated in May from Dodge City Community College with an associate degree in science. She will be studying business and accounting as a junior at K-State this fall. She is exploring career paths as a chief financial officer or a certified public accountant in western Kansas.
Maecyn Gunn
Kansas State University
Mother: Emily Gunn, Information Technology Coordinator at First Commerce Bank, Marysville
Maecyn is majoring in organizational management as a junior at K-State. She has worked part time at First Commerce Bank for two years, and she hopes to work her way up to a management/officer position at a bank.
Reid Hughes
University of Kansas
Father: Scott Hughes, Vice President at Silver Lake Bank, Topeka
Reid will be a senior at KU this fall and is majoring in finance. Upon graduation, Reid is looking forward to a thriving career in wealth management after having completed an internship at Advisors Excel in Topeka.
Halle Latham
Kansas State University
Mother: Amber McCauley, Vice President/Chief Operating Officer at Lyons Federal Bank, Lyons
Halle will be a senior at K-State this fall majoring in finance with a certificate in investment management. She currently works as a finance co-op for Koch Industries. She is considering a career in banking after college.
Keegan O’Shea
Emporia State University
Mother: Molly O’Shea, EVP at Citizens State Bank, Cheney
Keegan plans to attend Emporia State University in the fall where he will pursue a bachelor’s degree in business administration with an emphasis in finance. He plans to apply for an internship at Koch Industries. Eventually, he hopes to have a career in banking or the finance industry.
Dawson Taylor
Kansas State University
Father: Scott Taylor, Vice President at Fidelity State Bank, Dodge City
Dawson will graduate from Dodge City Community College this spring with an Associate of Arts degree. In the fall, he plans to attend K-State where he will pursue a finance degree. With a passion for financial advising and strategic decision making, he is looking forward to a career in the financial industry.
Banker Reference Scholarships
Maeve McGrath
University of Kansas
Banker Reference: Dan Bolen, President and CEO at Bank of Prairie Village, Prairie Village
Maeve will be a junior at KU this fall, majoring in finance. She participated in the Jennett Finance Scholars Program while at KU, and she will be interning at R.W. Baird in Chicago this summer. Her goal is to raise her family in Kansas while having a career as a professional banker.
College/University Banking Scholarships
Pierce Applegate
Fort Hays State University, Robbins Banking Institute
Pierce Applegate is a junior at FHSU, majoring in finance and also completing the banking certificate. He serves as vice president of the Finance Club and as treasurer of the International Business Club and is a member of Alpha Kappa Psi, the Economics Club and the Accounting Club. This summer Pierce is working for the FDIC as a financial institution intern in risk management. After graduation next year, he hopes to find a position in a community bank as an ag lender.
Kyle Lampert
Fort Hays State University, Robbins Banking Institute
Kyle Lampert is a senior at FHSU, majoring in finance with a banking concentration. His ultimate goal after graduation is to work in the finance department of a bank so he can use his analytical skills to make informed decisions that benefit the bank and its customers.
Halle Lutz
Fort Hays State University, Robbins Banking Institute
Halle Lutz is a senior at FHSU, majoring in finance with a banking concentration. She is currently employed at Golden Belt Bank and plans to continue working there after graduation with aspirations to be a loan officer. Halle began working as a teller in a community bank when she was in high school and looks forward to being a life-long learner in the field of banking as she intends to pursue a master’s level program in banking in the future.
Jacob Hawley
Byron G. Thompson Center for Integrity in Finance and Economics, Benedictine College
Jacob is an upcoming senior from Overland Park, Kansas. He is a finance major. Growing up, Jacob was instilled with a strong curiosity and work ethic. Jacob is already a successful serial entrepreneur, a high-achieving amateur physicist, and has successfully completed internships. Upon graduation, Jacob seeks a career in commercial lending, private equity or investment banking, where he can continue to learn, excel and contribute to a high-performing team.
Yonathan Tobar Cubias
Byron G. Thompson Center for Integrity in Finance and Economics, Benedictine College
Yonathan is an upcoming senior from Kansas City, Kansas. He is double majoring in finance and management. He was born and raised in KCK and plays on the Benedictine men’s soccer team. Since his early childhood, Yonathan has had a natural affinity with numbers and finance. His family runs multiple small businesses, showing him firsthand the importance of banking for small enterprises. After graduation, Yonathan plans on pursuing further education in finance and a career in banking.
Thomas Wurtenberger
Byron G. Thompson Center for Integrity in Finance and Economics, Benedictine College
Thomas is an upcoming senior from Wichita, Kansas. He will earn a major in finance and a minor in economics. Thomas has already completed two summer internships (in 2022 for Corner Capital Partners as a financial analyst intern and in 2023 for Rx Savings SolutionsMcKesson as a finance intern) and is interning this summer for Koch Industries. His father, who was a loan officer, played a significant role in shaping his career path and his decision to pursue a degree in finance. Thomas plans on pursuing a career in Corporate Finance.
Riley Rottinghaus
Byron G. Thompson Center for Integrity in Finance and Economics, Benedictine College
Riley Rottinghaus grew up in Seneca, Kansas. She plans on graduating in May 2025 with a degree in finance and marketing. After college, Riley plans on pursuing opportunities in financial planning within the banking industry. Growing up she loved math and numbers. In high school, she took an accounting and finance class which sparked her immediate interest in the field. In the future, she is hoping to help a variety of clients manage their assets and reach their financial goals.
