100 Shawnee County and other Kansas students receive scholarships ahead of college

TOPEKA (KSNT) - High school students throughout Shawnee County and the state of Kansas received a financial boost as they near the end of their high school career.

One hundred high school students each received a $1,000 scholarship from Topeka Community Foundation Tuesday at a the Topeka Country Club. Recipients were selected by the foundation's reading team.

Each scholarship was issued with specific criteria from the donor. Students applied for scholarships that where special to them. This is something that's important according to the foundation's president.

"The great thing about this is connecting the donors to the students who have won their scholarships," TCF President Marsha Pope said. "Many times these scholarships are established in memory of a loved one, and so this is a way that their legacy lives on."

"I'm very thankful that I was blessed to be able to get this scholarship as it will help me pay for tuition and everything I'll need in college, so that just really means a lot to me," scholarship recipient Taya Smith said.

"I'm just really thankful to have been able to get this scholarship and be chosen out of my classmates," scholarship recipient Maecyn Gunn said. "It's gonna just really help pay for my next step in my life and I'm super thankful to be receiving this scholarship."

Now 40 years into the event, Pope says they're excited to continue to grow in the number of scholarships they have.