Incoming K-State students receive full-ride scholarships as Rudd Scholars

Thursday, April 24, 2025

2025 Rudd Scholarship recipients.

Twenty-one incoming first-year Kansas State University students have been selected as Rudd Scholars and will receive four-year, full-ride scholarships.

The Rudd Scholars program is designed to help Kansas residents pay any remaining costs associated with tuition and fees, books and supplies, and room and board after accounting for all other grants, scholarships and financial awards at a partnering Kansas school.

Once a student is selected for the Rudd Scholarship, they must continue to meet program requirements, including living on campus, participating in extracurriculars, maintaining a cumulative 3.0 GPA, completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid annually and taking part in Rudd Scholars program activities.

This Kansas-based program for Kansas students who qualify for a Pell Grant was founded to help the brightest Kansas minds stay in the state to build new businesses, teach in schools, lead in communities and achieve excellence in all that they do. Recipients demonstrate values of humility, hard work and integrity.

The 2025 K-State recipients represent 18 different Kansas cities and 19 different majors: Deacon Baier from Southeast of Saline High School, Camdyn Cunningham from Ashland High School, Felicity Gear from Bishop Carroll High School, Joe Leija Jr. from Brewster High School, Grace Schmeidler from Thomas More Prep-Marian High School, Ruby Gomel-Osthoff from Smith Center Junior-Senior High School, Luke Griffith from Goddard High School, Phoenix Hamlet from Perry-Lecompton High School, Anderson Hurlburt from Madison High School, Taylor McDaniel from Concordia Junior-Senior High School, Lilly Miller from Rossville Junior-Senior High School, Elijah Pete from Wichita Northeast Magnet High School, Adriane Rojas from Dodge City High School, Hillary Salazar from Turner High School, Leanne Shoup from Lyndon High School, Serenity Smith from Quinter Junior-Senior High School, Celia Snetsinger from Bishop Carroll High School, Lane Turner from McPherson High School, Alicia Valdez from Wichita Northwest High School, Mavrick Winter from Riley County High School and Rylie Wunderle from Clifton-Clyde Senior High School.

On April 2, K-State held a celebration in honor of the 21 Rudd Scholars, providing and promoting college access to the next generation of Kansas leaders.