Diligent students awarded for work ethic, academic excellence
Friday, June 27, 2025
Thirteen hard-working, driven undergraduate students with strong academic records have been recognized with the competitive Patti Johnson Wilson Foundation Scholarship.
The $10,000 award recognizes full-time undergraduate students majoring in music, engineering or liberal arts who work part time and demonstrate outstanding academic achievement, financial need, and a strong commitment to personal and professional growth. Eligible applicants must maintain a GPA of 3.5 or higher.
Each year, the foundation's trustees thoughtfully review academic records, faculty recommendations and evidence of student work ethic to select scholarship recipients.
"These students demonstrate that working while in college contributes to success in college. We are grateful to the Patti Johnson Wilson Foundation for providing this opportunity,” said Beth Powers, director of Scholar Development and Undergraduate Research.
The following students are the 2025-2026 recipients of the Patti Johnson Wilson Foundation Scholarship. Two students declined to be identified.
- Landon Barner, mechanical engineering, nuclear engineering option, Liberty, Missouri
- Ariantte Bastos, mechanical engineering, McPherson
- Gracie Filbert, mechanical engineering, Hoyt
- Allison Meerian, English and history, Gretna, Nebraska
- Corbin Montenegro, music education, St. George
- Sean O'Malley, mechanical engineering, Fort Collins, Colorado
- Viv Nguyen, physics and mechanical engineering, Dodge City
- Cole Parsons, mechanical engineering, nuclear engineering option, and mathematics, Manhattan
- Miguel Ramos, civil engineering, St. Marys
- Jerome Schafer, mechanical engineering, Overland Park
- Michael Velasquez, electrical engineering, Amarillo, Texas
The Patti Johnson Wilson Foundation was established in 1972 by Patti Johnson Wilson, who supported her study of music at the University of Kansas with loans, a scholarship and part-time work during the Great Depression; after graduation, she worked as a piano teacher, managed oil, gas and mining interests, and spent many years living in Asia, including Vietnam.