The Joey Lee Garmon Undergraduate Scholarship for Student Belonging

The Joey Lee Garmon Undergraduate Scholarship is directed at students who have helped build belonging and recognition for academic and leadership endeavors. This scholarship was started by Barbara Baker to honor and bring long-lasting value to her brother’s life.

Joey Lee Garmon, an African American male, was born August 20, 1947. During this time period, it was not uncommon to have teachers and students engage in exclusionary practices in the classroom. When a person from a different background walked down the street, he/she was often met with harassment. In addition, Joey Lee was met with overt discrimination in seeking employment. Joey Lee Garmon was unable to find sensitive nurturing sense of belonging in either the school system or in the community. Like so many young people in desperate and hopeless situations, Joey Lee Garmon gave up on himself and turned to drugs. On August 30, 1972, at the age of 24, he committed suicide.

This scholarship recognizes that efforts of belonging and acceptance are important in all communities. Scholarship recognition validates a student’s worth not only to themselves but to the larger community as well. The Garmon Scholarship encourages students to reflect on community building and belonging, making us more aware of what is being done and what still needs to be done to make this a kinder and more tolerant world.

This scholarship, known as the Undergraduate Scholarship for Student Belonging, will be awarded in the amount of $700 to five (5) undergraduates of any background who demonstrate exemplary efforts to advance community building and belonging.

Scholarship Eligibility

The applicant of the scholarship must meet the following criteria in order to receive the scholarship:

  1. The applicant must be an undergraduate of any background in good academic standing, with a strong record of leadership in student belonging, community building, and/or leadership development. Applicants may be of any ethnic group
  2. Be currently enrolled at Kansas State University and remain enrolled full time during the semester in which the scholarship is awarded
  3. Complete the online scholarship application through Qualtrics.
  4. Submit a personal essay of up to 700 words addressing how they have contributed to belonging, how they plan to use their education to help others, and why belonging matters in a university setting.

  5. Provide one letter of reference supporting their academic and leadership achievements and progress toward graduation. Letters may be uploaded through the application or emailed directly by the reference to anaguanes@ksu.edu

If the applicant does not submit all of the above information, the applicant will not be considered eligible for the scholarship.

The recipient will be chosen by a scholarship committee of university representatives. The applicants will be informed by email of the award selection.

The scholarships will be awarded for the spring semester and may be applied toward tuition, housing, or books.

Application

Applications are now open for the 2026 Joey Lee Garmon Undergraduate Scholarship for Student Belonging!

Application Deadline: Friday, November 6, 2026, at 5:00 p.m.

Students must complete the online application through Qualtrics and submit all required materials by the deadline.

Apply Here

Applicants may submit their letter of reference through the online application or have their reference email the letter directly to anaguanes@ksu.edu.

Reference letters must be received by Friday, November 6, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. for the application to be considered complete.

Questions may be directed to:

Ana Guanes
224 Anderson Hall
919 Mid-Campus Drive
Manhattan, KS 66506

Phone: (785) 532-6276
Email: anaguanes@ksu.edu