Wichita State University has selected the 2020 recipients of the Harry Gore Memorial Scholarships. Each student will receive a $64,000 scholarship to attend Wichita State University in August 2020.

• MJ Jacques, Topeka High School
• Rebekah Krehbiel, Northside High School (Arkansas)
• Vivian Le, Wichita East High School

The students competed in the Distinguished Scholarship Invitational in November, with 656 total students competing – the largest in DSI history. To be invited to compete in the invitational, students had to have a 27 or higher ACT score, or a 3.5 or higher GPA, or rank in the top 10 percent of their class. Once invited, students completed an application, including essays and competed in an on-campus leadership competition. Fourteen finalists came back to campus Thursday, Jan. 23 for final interviews.

As with Gore Scholars before them, the three recipients this year are involved in their schools and communities and plan to do the same at Wichita State University.

MJ Jacques, Topeka High School, is planning to study aerospace engineering. She is a four-year state qualifier in debate and forensics and varsity captain of her high school cheer team. Through Youth Entrepreneurs, MJ opened a non-profit coffee shop at Topeka High School with profits going toward scholarships for graduating seniors. Her gifted facilitator said, “MJ has shown drive and leadership during her tenure at Topeka High. She is a go-getter. She can delegate tasks and has the capacity for decision making that all good leaders need. MJ does not shy away from a challenge and she is willing to put in the work to accomplish her goals. It has brought me great joy watching her grow into the young woman she is today.”

Rebekah Krehbiel, from Northside High School in Arkansas, will be majoring in biomedical engineering. Rebekah is Battalion Commander of the 350-cadet JROTC program at Northside High School and participates in volleyball, quizbowl, National Honor Society and more. Keri Rathbun, principal at Northside High School, says: “One of the things that impresses me the most about her leadership capabilities is watching her command the Grizzly Battalion, our JROTC unit at Northside. Rebekah will be an outstanding leader for Wichita State for many reasons. She is humble and kind. She is loyal and dependable and works hard to make sure any job or assignment she is given is completed on time and with accuracy.”

Vivian Le, senior in the International Baccalaureate program at Wichita East High School, plans to attend medical school. She is president of National Honor Society, senior representative for student council and serves as a Wesley Hospital Volunteen. Vivian’s National Honor Society sponsor, Rob Compton, had this to share: “Vivian has sparked new life into National Honor Society – planning engaging meetings and meaningful community service projects. She is thoughtful and seeks to understand a situation before diving in. Considering how her actions impact a situation, she visualizes how to best utilize her talents to execute an idea.”

Wichita State is distinctive for opening pathways to applied learning, applied research and career opportunities, alongside unsurpassed classroom, laboratory and online education. The university's beautiful 330-acre main campus is a supportive, rapidly expanding learn-work-live-play environment, where students gain knowledge and credentials to prepare for fulfilling lives and careers. Students enjoy a wide selection of day, evening and summer courses in more than 200 areas of study at the main campus and other locations throughout the metro area and online. WSU's approximately 16,000 students come from every state in the U.S. and more than 100 other countries. Wichita State's Innovation Campus is an interconnected community of partnership buildings, laboratories and mixed-use areas where students, faculty, staff, entrepreneurs and businesses have access to the university's vast resources and technology. For more information, follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/wichitastate and Facebook at www.facebook.com/wichita.state.