Previous Scholarship Winners

The Office of the State Bank Commissioner sponsors the essay competition and awards scholarships to Kansas high school seniors.

2025 Kansas Financial Scholarship Contest

Congratulations to our 2025 winners, each awarded a $5,000 scholarship:

Morgan Allen, Centralia High School
Quade Smith, St. John-Hudson High School
Sydney Sage, Jefferson West High School
Cindy Do, Campus High School
Alyssa Wolff, Bennington High School

2024 Kansas Financial Scholarship Contest

Congratulations to our 2024 winners!

1st Place: Carter Oehme, Manhattan High School, $3,000 The Road to Success Fueled by Financial Literacy
2nd Place: Adriana Tetley, Olathe South High School, $2,500
3rd Place: Taylor Row, Jefferson West High School, $2,000
4th Place: Avery Ziegler, Trego Community High School, $1,500
5th Place: Isaiah Garcia, Satanta Jr/Sr High School, $1,000

2023 Kansas Financial Scholarship Contest

Congratulations to our 2023 winners!

1st Place: Sean Wagner, Satanta Jr/Sr High School, $3,000 Financial Literacy and My College Decision
2nd Place: Tarek Koelsch, Smith Center High School, $2,500
3rd Place: Madison Ross, Satanta Jr/Sr High School, $2,000
4th Place: Kaydence Voyles, El Dorado High School, $1,500
5th Place: Katelyn Koester, Conway Springs High School, $1,000

2022 Kansas Financial Scholarship Contest

Congratulations to our 2022 winners!

1st Place: Hallie Snyder, Prairie View High School, $3,000 “A Purposeful Plan for Success”
2nd Place: Jayden Brethour, Integritas Academy, $2,500
3rd Place: Gwen VanLeeuwen, Seaman High School, $2,000
4th Place: Ben Rogers, Cornerstone Homeschool Academy, $1,500
5th Place: Mallory Young, Jefferson West High School, $1,000

2021 Kansas Financial Scholarship Contest

Congratulations to our 2021 Winners!

1st Place: Ella Burrows, Satanta High School, $3,000 “Financial Literacy and My College Decisions”
2nd Place: Klaire Kuckelman, Northeast Magnet High School, $2,5000
3rd Place: Peyton Price, Rossville High School, $2,000
4th Place: Hilary Tallman, Andover Central High School, $1,500
5th Place: Jeff Schremmer, St. Mary’s Colgan High School, $1,000

Teacher Awards:

Tim Dusin, Satanta High School, Teacher of the 1st Place Winner, $500
Diana Denny, Teacher with the Most Quality Entries, $500

2020 Kansas Financial Scholarship Contest

Congratulations to our 2020 Winners!

1st Place: Riley Buss, Jeff West High School, $3,000 “Being Part of the Family Business”
2nd Place: Mallory Beltz, Sterling High School, $2,500
3rd Place: Heather Mills, Derby High School, $2,000
4th Place: Emma Elder, Nemaha Central High School, $1,500
5th Place: Josseline Alba, Wichita North High School, $1,000

Teacher Awards:

Steve Buss, Jeff West High School, $500 – Teacher of the 1st Place Winner
Aaron Dirks, Scott Community High School, $500 – Teacher with the most entries

2019 Kansas Financial Scholarship Contest

Congratulations to our 2019 Winners!

1st Place: Blaine Hupe, Wamego High School, $3,000 “Building Financial Literacy”
2nd Place: Angelica Carrillo Hernandez, Salina South High School, $2,000
3rd Place: Kevin Doung, Scott Community High School, $1,000
4th Place: Dominic Victor, Prairie View High School, $1,000
5th Place: Emilie Roe, Herington High School, $1,000

Teacher Awards: Jeff Suther, Teacher of 1st Place Student, Wamego High School, $150 Gift Card
Aaron Dirks, Teacher with the most essay entries, Scott Community High School, $150 Gift Card

2018 Scholarship Contest Winners

Congratulations to our 2018 winners!

1st Place: Holly Mills, Derby High School, $2,500
2nd Place: Elise Artzer, Wamego High School, $2,000
3rd Place: Daniel Nolasco, Scott Community High School, $1,500
4th Place: Jordan Hawman, Jefferson West High School, $1,000
5th Place: Baleigh Fry, Great Bend High School, $500

Honorable mentions ($250 each): Hallee Lang, Thomas More Prep-Marian High School; Andrew Cunningham, Saint Thomas Aquinas High School; Jazmyne Florio, Derby High School; Keaton Means, Kansas Home School.

Teacher Awards
Robin Groskurth, Derby High School – Teacher of the First Place Student, $150
Aaron Dirks, Scott Community High School – Teacher with the Most Valid Student Entries, $100

2017 Scholarship Contest Winners

Congratulations to our 2017 winners!

1st Place: Nathan Buss, Jefferson West High School
2nd Place: Kylee Trout, Scott Community High School
3rd Place: Kyle Unruh, Hillsboro High School
4th Place: Brooke Bulloch, Maize South High School
5th Place: Sydney Hoover, De Soto High School

Honorable mentions: Makenzie Fankhauser, Shawnee Mission East High School; Kim Nguyen, Seaman High School; Seth Tunnell, Wellington High School

2016 Scholarship Contest Winners

Congratulations to our 2016 winners!

1st place: Berkley Wiegers, Wamego High School
“Dolly Daniell: A Story of grit, determination and survival” 

2nd place: Cynthia Matson, Sunrise Christian Academy

3rd place: Tiffany Willson, Conway Springs High School

4th place: Haley Mills, Derby High School

5th place: Robert Rosas, Scott Community High School

Honorable mention attendees were: Zachery Brunner, Wamego High School; Maggie Miksch, Wamego High School; Chloe Rickman, Eureka High School; Tayler Strickland, Cunningham High School; and Reid Thornburg, Shawnee Mission Northwest High School; Devin Lamkin, Hillsboro High School; Alma Martinez, Scott Community High School; Tassanee Sanchez, Hillsboro High School; Karisa Schremmer, Hoisington High School; and Sydney Wilson, Sterling High School.

2015 Scholarship Contest Winners

Congratulations to our 2015 winners!

1st place: Abby Oberle, De Soto High School
“Callie Hudson – The Legacy of an Entrepreneur” 

2nd place: Kaitlyn Dinges, Ness City High School
“Essential Guidance”

3rd place: Keeley Taylor, Haven High School
“Big Decisions Towards a Bright Future”

4th place: Paden Griffiths, Herington High School
“Decisions”

5th place: Broque Short, Derby High School
“The Dave Ramsey Effect”