Senior Profile: Adia Reynolds

From a young age, Adia Reynolds has been writing her story, and it’s clear that this is only the beginning. From Colorado Springs, majoring in English and earning a Grant Writing certification, she was the youngest-ever recipient of the Aspiring Authors Scholarship from the Colorado Authors Hall of Fame. Adia’s passion for words has already earned recognition beyond the classroom.

After graduation, Adia plans to pursue a career in publishing as a literary agent or editor, where her love for literature and eye for detail will no doubt shine. She's also on a personal mission to publish a book one day, and in the meantime, she’s keeping busy publishing short stories and poems in a variety of literary magazines.

Adia credits English professors Dr. Bartlett for showing her that her creative passions have a real place in academia, and Dr. Harrison for helping her see that graduate education, and everything beyond, is within her reach.

With talent, drive, and a storyteller’s heart, Adia is well on her way to making her mark in the literary world. We can’t wait to read what she writes next! ✍🐅

Senior Profile: Kiersten Kober

Kiersten Kober, from Roseland, Nebraska, has made the most of her time at Fort Hays State University, both in and out of the classroom. A dedicated student, majoring in Biology and minoring in Chemistry, she has earned a place on the Dean’s Honor Roll every semester and will be continuing her academic journey at Union Adventist University in Lincoln, Nebraska, where she has been accepted into the Physician Assistant Program!

During her time at FHSU, Kiersten was deeply involved in campus life, where she co-founded the Women in STEM club and served as its secretary for all three years. She was also a member of the Pre-Med Club and served as its treasurer in her final year.

Kiersten credits her parents for their unwavering support and encouragement, saying, “I wouldn’t be who I am today without you.” She also extends heartfelt thanks to Kevin, Kathay, and the entire Honors College team for their guidance, community, and (sometimes equally important) snacks. Her professors in chemistry and biology made a lasting impact with their dedication and care for both her academic success and personal growth. And to her friends, a thank you for the unforgettable memories that will last a lifetime.

Congratulations, Kiersten! We can’t wait to see the amazing things you’ll accomplish as a future PA!

Senior Profile: Noah Erichsen

Congratulations, Noah Erichsen! A dedicated scholar from Ellsworth, Kansas, graduating with a double major in Environmental Geoscience and History, plus certifications in Global Studies and Geographic Information Systems, and was a 2025 Torch Award finalist!

Noah’s next adventure begins with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. He’s currently awaiting permanent placement within the Kansas City District, but will kick off his post-grad career this summer with a temporary assignment at Harlan County Lake near Alma, Nebraska. There, he’ll serve as a Park Ranger and Natural Resource Specialist—roles that beautifully blend his academic passions with real-world impact.

Recognized as an FHSU Global Citizen Leader, Noah has made the most of his time at Fort Hays State University. He’s especially grateful to the professors who guided him along the way, including Hollie Marquess, Keith Bremer, Jon Summrall, and Peter Lillpopp, who each played a key role in his academic and personal development.

With a strong sense of purpose, service, and a deep respect for both history and the natural world, Noah is poised to make a meaningful difference wherever he lands next. It has been an honor to witness all your achievements! 🌍🗺️🌾

Senior Profile: Ella Burrows

Congratulations to Ella Burrows, a standout Political Science major from Satanta, Kansas, graduating with a Legal Studies Certificate and a bright future ahead! 

Ella has made an incredible impact during her time at Fort Hays State University, earning recognition as a Newman Civic Fellow and receiving the prestigious Delta Zeta Florence Hood Miner Award. Her academic excellence and civic leadership set her apart, and earned her the 2025 FHSU Torch Award—and she’s just getting started.

This fall, Ella will be attending Washburn University's School of Law to continue pursuing her passion for justice and public service. Her time at FHSU laid a solid foundation, and she is excited to build on it through legal studies and advocacy.

Ella credits much of her success to the guidance of Wendy Rohleder-Sook, her advisor and professor. “She has been a tremendous source of support throughout my time at FHSU,” Ella shared. With mentorship like that and her own drive, there’s no doubt she’s headed for great things.

We’re proud of all you’ve accomplished and can't wait to see the difference you'll make in the world. 🐯⚖️

Senior Profile: Kelsey Ward

Congratulations to Kelsey Ward, an Early Childhood Education major with a Certificate in Management, hailing from Ellsworth, Kansas!

Kelsey will be graduating this spring and stepping right into her dream career; she’s excited to begin teaching 2nd grade in Russell, Kansas. A Kansas Teacher Service Scholar, Kelsey has shown a deep passion for shaping young minds and is ready to bring her dedication and heart to the classroom.

Throughout her time at Fort Hays State University, Kelsey found a second home in the Teacher Education department. "Every professor is extremely supportive, knowledgeable, and personable,” she shared. “I’ve built many relationships and gained invaluable experience that have only deepened my love for teaching and learning."

One of Kelsey's most impactful experiences was working at Tiger Tots all four years of college, a role that gave her hands-on teaching practice and meaningful mentorship. She credits teacher Sara Stroup for being a major influence in her journey: "From mentoring me through educational and personal experiences to being a constant support in my life, I wouldn’t be who I am today without her."

Kelsey also expressed heartfelt gratitude to her husband, Adam, whose unwavering encouragement helped her grow both personally and professionally. "He pushes me to be my best self and step outside my comfort zone, where the most growth happens."

Congratulations, Kelsey! We’re so proud of you and can’t wait to see the incredible difference you’ll make in your future classroom. 🐯💛

Senior Profile: Mariah Blankenbaker

 Mariah is from Atlanta, Kansas and is earning a degree in Graphic Design with a certificate in Motion Design. Mariah will continue at FHSU to earn a Master's in Intermedia, focusing in Animation. 

It's always a joy to see students grow and learn and Mariah has out in the hard work to continue to develop her amazing art skills and we can't wait to see more of her future work! 

We're glad you'll be close to the Honors fam for a little while longer, Mari! Congratulations and keep creating! 

Senior Profile: Lauren Tai Huynh

 Lauren is from Wichita and is graduating with her degree in Graphic Design, with a Motion Design Certificate. She received 3rd place overall in the 2024 Leo Burnett Portfolio review. 

Lauren extends her thanks: "Thank you to the art department, more specifically Chaiwat and Karrie for pushing me and rooting for my success in so many ways! Thank you to Residential Life for being another family here for me! Thank you to AAOG for providing me the opportunity to go to school and have such great mentors and be a mentor for others!"

Lauren stepped up to be a CA and mentor other first-generation students to find their path to success. She's a proud and determined first generation student and we're proud of all her success and know she will go out and make an impact! 

Lauren plans to land in either Denver or Seattle in the near future. Best wishes to you, Lo, and congratulations!

Senior Profile: Morgan Lange

Morgan is from Longton, Kansas and she is earning her degree in Agricultural Business with a minor in Political Science. She was a member of the Dean's Honor Roll and a member of the Order of the Omega and Delta Tau Alpha Honors societies.

Morgan says: "Dr. Wendy Rohleder-Sook has been such a guiding faculty member for me when it has come to the LSAT, and all things law school! Also, the Honors College staff are always great!" 

All that hard work paid off, as this January, Morgan will be attending Washburn University School of Law to obtain her law degree and plans to practice rural or agricultural law!

We'll miss that big smile here, but we wish her all the best as she starts her law school journey! 

Senior Profile: Alicia Feyerherm

 Alicia is from Hays and will earn her degree in Information Networking and Telecommunications with an emphasis in Digital Media Production and Journalism and a minor in Public Relations and Advertising. She plans to pursue her Master's in Business Administration with a concentration in Corporate Communications and will be working full-time with Midwest Energy in the Corporate Communications and Government Affairs Department. 

At FHSU, she has been a student senator for the Robbins College of Business and Entrepreneurship, served as Vice President of Communications for the Fort Hays Honor Society, and did great work for Tiger Media Network. 

Alicia says: "I would like to thank Kevin and Kathay for all they have done to help me throughout my college career - specifically when transferring from KU. Transferring to Fort Hays was the best decision I ever made, and it would not have been possible without the Honors College and John Armstrong from Admissions. I will forever be grateful for the opportunities Fort Hays has given me. I would also like to thank Nick Schwien and Russell Heitmann from Tiger Media Network for all their support. I have made so many friends and memories from TMN and would not be the journalist I am today without the program."

We're so glad Alicia decided to make the move to Fort Hays and be part of the Honors College community (making it an official Feyerherm sister family tradition). 🐯 She took the mission of the Honors College to heart and made the most of her opportunities. We're excited to see where that dedication takes her in the future. Congratulations, Alicia!

Senior Profile: Maria Aguilar Mendoza

Maria is an online student from Wichita, graduating with a degree in nursing. She has been accepted into the DNP family practice program this fall at Wichita State. Congrats, Maria! 

Her parents and siblings have been a great support for her during her education. It takes a special commitment to conquer nursing online and step up to do great, Honorable work. We're very proud of her commitment and all her hard work. We wish her the best at WSU! 

Senior Profile: Griffin Davies

 

Griffin is from Holton, Kansas and is graduating with his degree in Chemistry. He previously graduated from the KAMS program. He plans to finish his master's degree in Biology here at FHSU and hopes to pursue a PhD and continue doing research in the pharmaceutical field. 

Griffin says that his research advisor, Dr. James Balthazor, supported him in making the most of many opportunities, including acceptance into the master's program, obtaining research grants, and attending both state and national research conferences. His fellow Honorable, Braden Allphin, was also at his side; "He’s been in pretty much every major class with me since our freshman year, where we met because he randomly stood at my bench in chemistry lab during our first semester. Without his friendship, the trauma bond we share from P Chem, and the consistent reminders of a quiz the next morning, I don’t think I would’ve made it this far." Last but not least, Griffin's family was a support for him. His mom and dad always have faith in him and his older brother, Bruce, provided him with guidance during his time at FHSU. 

Griffin will continue to great things at FHSU and beyond and we wish him the best of luck!

The Honors College at Fort Hays State University: Ten Years of Community and Commitment

 By Kevin Amidon, Oct 2024

The Honors College at Fort Hays State University is celebrating ten years of service to the Hays community, Kansans, and the world.  Today’s Honors College stands on the shoulders of many who have dedicated years of effort to bring about the success of the College’s efforts to enrich FHSU’s student life, academic energy, and community engagement.  On the occasion of FHSU Homecoming 2024, this brief reflection on important moments in the history of the Honors College seeks to highlight the contributions of the key people who have made this path possible.

    What Honors means at FHSU

The FHSU Honors College is an academic program that represents a calling to service and engagement.  The program supports experiential enrichment of students’ academic training, professional plans, and personal goals, and students earn their degrees with Honors on the basis of commitment to these principles.  Students with strong motivation join the Honors College from high school, as transfer students, as online students, or as current FHSU students.  The experiential core of the Honors College curriculum focuses on a wide range of student-designed co-curricular and pre-professional aspects that bridge the worlds of education and professional practice including research, study abroad, internships, community service, campus leadership, and many more.  Honors College students therefore do much to create FHSU’s lively culture of service and engagement, and serve their fellow students, the community, and the university’s broader mission in meaningful ways.

    How Honors began at FHSU

In the 1950s, the US invested strongly in higher education to advance the skills of the workforce, develop deep talent during the Cold War, and thank veterans for their service.  At that time, FHSU began exploring Honors education with the goal of linking college success to emerging principles of gifted education at the K-12 level.  These initial experiments continued on and off into the 1970s.  Dr. Nancy Vogel was a pioneering faculty member in the Department of English who still provides substantial financial support to today’s Honors College including the medallions presented to each Honors graduate as a complement their commencement regalia.  She contributed closely to the 1970s Honors Program as a faculty member in Honors courses.  Resource constraints did not allow this manifestation of Honors education at FHSU to continue, however.  Renewed efforts to establish an Honors Program with strong curriculum and admissions standards emerged, both university-wide and in the then-College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, in the later 1990s.  Dr. Douglas Drabkin and Dr. Larry Gould, both major contributors to the development of today’s Honors College, were leaders in these efforts, which were not able to come to fruition.

    Today’s FHSU Honors College

In 2008, Mr. Matt Means was asked by FHSU President Edward H. Hammond and Provost Dr. Gould to explore ways to advance FHSU’s success in nationally competitive scholarship and fellowship competitions (e.g. Fulbright, Goldwater, Truman, Rhodes, Marshall, NSF).  Mr. Means saw the need for greater organizational support to recruit, retain, and motivate high-achieving students.  The first result of these efforts was a student organization, the Fort Hays Honor Society (FHHS), which remains a vigorous aspect of student life at FHSU and an organizationally separate complement to the Honors College’s academic program mission.  In 2010 the forerunner of the Honors College was added: the Distinguished Scholars Program, which President Hammond granted a budget to support merit scholarship awards and further incentives for student engagement on campus.

In 2014, newly inaugurated FHSU President Mirta Martin believed that a full-scale Honors College represented an important step to advance FHSU’s competitive position and student-centered focus on academic achievement and success.  Mr. Means was charged with developing the structure of the FHSU Honors College and made the founding Director.  FHSU’s executive leadership made further resources available, and through an intense collaborative process engaging faculty, staff, and students, the Honors College successfully emerged in the basic form we know today.  Fall 2015 saw the arrival of the first class of approximately 25 admitted students.  These students moved into the Honors College’s living community housed at that time in McMindes Hall, and their success has inspired students ever since.

In 2018, Ms. Kathay Johnson arrived to serve as the heart of the Honors College’s student services.  In 2019, Dr. Kevin S. Amidon took over from Mr. Means as Director.  Together with the Honors College’s annual teams of student assistants, and with the vigorous support of President Tisa Mason, Provost Jill Arensdorf, and Assistant Provost Angela Pool-Funai, they continue to advance the mission of the Honors College as an inclusive, motivating place where students make the most of their education through commitment to service and engagement.

Today, the Honors College admits upward of 80 students per year.  It currently enrolls 159 students who represent every academic program on campus, almost 4.5% of the on-campus student body.  Several fully-online Honors students participate in FHSU Honors Online, a program first piloted in 2020.  Students are admitted and offered merit scholarships based on their high school academic record, commitment to engagement, and test scores.  The Honors College living community now fills most of the beautiful Tiger Village residence hall, completed in 2016.

    Where the Honors College will go from here

FHSU Honors College graduates go on to success in every field, and the Honors College seeks to support their goals for lifelong learning and service.  The Honors College seeks out feedback from students and its Alumni Advisory Council to assess its success in advancing these outcomes.  Students and graduates speak very highly of the College’s efforts, organization, and personnel, and their feedback informs the College’s goals for ongoing growth and enrichment.  The Honors College expects to continue to grow as its alumni network spreads the word in ways that develop both new recruiting possibilities and financial support from generous donors.

New Year, New Honorables!

New Honorables and Peer Mentors! 

(Apologies to Jason and Chesney for chopping you off! Oh no.)

This fall the Honors College welcomed 63 new students into the program. We keep hearing "that sounds like a lot!" It is! This is the largest incoming class ever! We couldn't be more excited to see all these new faces ready to discover all the people, places, and things that will shape their path. Some of them were born hitting the ground running, others are more calculating in their commitments; some know exactly where they're headed, while some are enjoying the journey. However they got here, we're very glad they're here. Wherever they're headed, we're glad to go with them. 

The Honors College is also celebrating 10 years this year. With 130 alumni, a current roster of 158, and so many friends and supporters over the years, we're looking forward to catching up and reminiscing with old friends at Homecoming. (Watch our Facebook and Instagram for more info about our events.)

While we treasure our past and all the students, faculty, staff, ideas, challenges, innovations, achievements, study hours, and snacks that got us here, we're very excited about the future and all the Honorable Tigers still to come. Each incoming class brings something new and the program evolves as the students do. It's a really fun thing to be part of and, I know I can speak for me and Kevin (because he also says it all the time), we definitely have the best jobs on campus. 

Wishing everyone a great semester and we hope to see many of you at Homecoming! 

~ Kathay