Three ambassadors earn scholarships
Sunflower Bank awarded scholarships to Jaycee Gfeller, Jessica Gudenkauf, and Matthew Cook at the close of the bank’s first annual Community Ambassadors program.
Gfeller, Gudenkauf and Cook received $1000, $500, and $250 scholarships, respectively, in part for a contemplative essay during the program and also for stellar academic and scholastic achievement throughout the year.
Other Community Ambassadors also were recognized at the graduation ceremony. on April 25. Jamie Crawford, Brittany Byers, Larame Cline, and Tyler Zachman rounded out the program’s inaugural class.
Sunflower Bank’s Community Ambassadors program is designed to encourage young people to consider their hometown community as a viable place to live and work after completing their higher education, and to help foster entrepreneurship and financial responsibility among youth leaders.
The select high school seniors attended 2-hour sessions each month throughout the school year. Session topics included financial basics, local government, economic development, and business leadership.
Sunflower Bank’s Community Ambassadors Scholarship Program provides three scholarships given locally within a Community Ambassadors class – a $1,000 scholarship, a $500 scholarship and a $250 scholarship. In addition, three additional $1000 scholarship recipients will be selected from the pool of all communities’ scholarship applicants.
Gfeller, the grand-prize $1000 scholarship winner, plans to attend Bethany College in Lindsborg, Gudenkauf will attend Wichita State University in Wichita, and Cook will also be a freshman at Bethany.
Sunflower Bank is now accepting applications for the next class of Community Ambassadors, which will begin this fall. Applications will be accepted until Monday, May 31, 2007. Program membership will be limited to a small group and applicants will be evaluated on current class work, community activities, and a series of short essay questions. The scholarships will again be awarded based on effort, participation, and work completed during the Community Ambassador program.