WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) – Three local high school students are making a dream come true. They each competed for and won a $64,000 scholarship to attend Wichita State University (WSU) this August.
Today, WSU announced the winners of the 2023 Harry Gore Memorial Scholarship:
- Maley Hansen, Wichita North High School
- Lesly Hernandez, corn high school
- Jayden Island, Derby High School
Students who wish to be eligible for the scholarship must have a minimum unweighted GPA of 3.5, a minimum ACT composite score of 27, a minimum SAT composite score of 1280, or rank in the top 10% of their class at the end of their junior year.
Application requires an essay that makes up half of your score in the Distinguished Scholarship Invitational (DSI). Nearly 500 students have qualified for the next stage of the DSI, a competition to be held on a Saturday in November. They took part in group problem solving activities and interviews. The day of the events made up the other half of the DSI score.
From there, the student pool was whittled down to semifinalists in December and then down to 14 finalists. The Gore Scholar selection committee interviewed the finalists last week before announcing the three winners.
WSU has provided this additional information about them:
Maley Hansen
Hansen plans to study business administration. He is a four-year varsity member and team captain of his Scholars Bowl team and is the current chapter president for DECA and Business Professionals of America. Hansen is a Wichita North athlete, participated as a varsity in soccer, and was a state qualifier in golf and wrestling. He volunteers for Habitat for Humanity, Red Cross Blood Drive, Bank of America and more.
Lesly Hernández
Hernandez will major in political science. At Maize High, Lesly serves as co-president of the Multicultural Club, senior class president, and secretary of the National Honor Society. She holds the first alpha violin chair in the orchestra at Maize High School.
Jayden Island
Island plans to major in biological sciences. They are a member of Derby High’s National Honor Society, chair of debating and forensics, and chair of Future Health Professionals. They also participate in track and field and are members of the student council and the KEY Club.
Gore Memorial Scholarship
The fellowship began in 1952. Theodore and Ralph Gore established it in memory of their father, Harry Gore. Harry was a Russian immigrant whose involvement in the oil industry took him to El Dorado in 1915. Education was so important to him that he moved a school teacher to the area to educate his children. He also believed that education built leaders and would create a greater Kansas.
