Wichita State University’s College of Engineering has named the latest group of high school seniors to join the Wallace Scholar program.

• Emilia Bustamante – Lincoln Northeast High School in Nebraska; mechanical engineering
• Tyllor Childers – Wichita Northwest High School; aerospace engineering
• Hudson Coffman – Blanchard High School in Oklahoma; aerospace engineering
• Lexi Grimm – Kapaun Mount Carmel Catholic High School in Wichita; aerospace engineering
• Connor Maul – J.J. Pearce High School in Dallas; aerospace engineering
• Sean McDermott – Eisenhower High School in Goddard, Kansas; cybersecurity
• Luke Osburn – Andover High School in Kansas; aerospace engineering
• Molly Patterson – Miami Yoder Preparatory Academy in Peyton, Colorado; aerospace engineering
• Madison Sohm – Russell Junior-Senior High School in Russell, Kansas; industrial engineering
• John Vonder Bruegge – Kirkwood High School in Missouri; mechanical engineering

Each of the 10 Wallace Scholarship recipients will receive $30,500 to attend WSU for four years.
Wallace Scholars comprise a community of more than 45 College of Engineering students, representing every class and almost every major in the college. Wallace Scholars are involved in the College of Engineering, across the WSU campus and throughout the greater Wichita community.

Selection for the Wallace Scholarship is based on recipients’ high school GPA, ACT scores and performance at the annual Wallace Invitational for Scholarships in Engineering (WISE), which was held in November and drew 165 students from 15 states.

The Wallace Scholarship is made possible through the Dwane and Velma Wallace Endowment, created in 1976, which supports scholarships for engineering and computing students and provides funds for the College of Engineering. Since 1980, the endowment has benefited more than 360 engineering and computing majors at WSU.

Emilia was inspired to pursue engineering through her high school engineering design classes. There, she explored her love of math and science with the creative freedom of building and design. Emilia has been a Lincoln Northeast Student Council member since her freshman year, including serving as an officer for the last three years and as the acting president. She has organized fundraisers for the Make-a-Wish Foundation, blood drives and clothing drives for the People’s City Mission. Emilia is also a member of the National Honor Society chapter at Lincoln Northeast. She is a three-year varsity letter winner for the softball team, has been the student manager for the varsity girls’ basketball team, and has been recognized for her work by the coach and staff. Outside of school, Emilia enjoys hanging out with her friends, playing video games, and spending time with her family and pets.

Tyllor’s passion for aviation and engineering began early in life with STEM activities in elementary school. She has always been drawn to math and science, which led her to choose aerospace engineering. Tyllor has participated in volleyball, golf and Scholar’s Bowl. In JROTC, she was recognized as a 2023 District Honorary Cadet and later promoted to Battalion Commander. The Mayor’s Youth Council and National Honor Society have helped Tyllor become active in her community, yielding a strong drive to help others. Traveling with Girl Scouts has exposed her to diverse communities and helped her explore the world. Whenever she can, Tyllor loves to read, crochet, practice piano and explore her hometown.

Hudson was inspired to choose his major through his experience engineering solutions on a farm. Growing up, he developed a passion for engineering through his farm’s problem-solving opportunities, such as fixing fences, building cattle lots and maintaining machinery. Hudson is also a member of a FIRST Robotics team, on which he serves as the team captain and building team lead. His experience in robotics led him to volunteer at local libraries and STEM events. Hudson has also volunteered at his local elementary school’s music class and the Grace Home, a shelter for single mothers in need, and he is a member of Students Against Destructive Decisions. Hudson ran track and cross country for nearly seven years and is now a team captain. In his free time, Hudson enjoys playing guitar, piano, running, and spending time with his friends and family.

Throughout all four years at Kapaun Mount Carmel High School, Lexi has participated in BEST Robotics, eventually becoming the leader of the build department in her junior year and the team’s president in her senior year. She is also the treasurer for the KMC Rocketry Team. Lexi has been a captain in the Crusader Advocacy Program and a member of the National Honor Society since her junior year. Last summer, she interned at Spirit AeroSystems and has been accepted into their college internship program for this upcoming summer. Since her sophomore year, Lexi has been a state qualifier in swimming. She volunteers at various special-needs events throughout the year and has more than 200 hours of volunteering at the library. In her free time, Lexi enjoys painting, reading, piano and archery. One fun fact about Lexi is that her uncle, Tan Nguyen, was also a Wallace Scholar.

Connor’s interest in engineering and aerospace grew through several programs he participated in throughout his high school career, including a summer engineering camp at the University of Kansas, NASA’s High School Aerospace Scholars and NASA’s Space Camp. At school, Connor plays the cello, is a member of his school’s varsity orchestra and is a three-time all-region orchestra member. Connor is involved in a program called SOS Lifeguards at his school, where he helps mentor the new freshman class, and is a National Merit Finalist. Outside of school, Connor is involved in Boy Scouts, hoping to soon complete his Eagle Scout rank through a service project with his orchestra. Connor has held many youth leadership positions in his troop and for his Order of the Arrow chapter. In his free time, Connor enjoys reading, playing flight and racing simulators, practicing instruments, flying drones, and photography.

Sean discovered his passion for ethical hacking and cybersecurity after watching a video by an ethical hacker named Ryan Montgomery, who uses hacking to save lives and protect children on the internet. Now, Sean enjoys researching new hacking projects, from stealing his home Wi-Fi password to unlocking his car with a Flipper Zero. He recently participated in Capture the Wu, a digital capture-the-flag competition hosted by WSU, where his team earned third place. Beyond computers, Sean is very passionate about music. He plays bass for his school orchestra, jazz band and church worship band. He has earned multiple awards for outstanding performances and solos. In his free time, Sean enjoys playing video games with friends, learning new computer skills and spending time with his girlfriend.

Luke’s decision to pursue engineering and aerospace was greatly influenced by his involvement in the Andover Science Olympiad team. He was a member of the team from seventh grade through his senior year, with engineering and physics being his favorite subjects. Luke is also an avid baseball player, learning many life skills and character traits from his coaches. Additionally, Luke is very involved in his church community, where he serves on the pastoral council, lectures and attends youth group. He is proud to be an Eagle Scout from Troop 584, where he enjoys mentoring younger scouts and passing on the lessons of life that were given to him at the same age. In his free time, Luke enjoys coaching his brother’s football team, tinkering, trap shooting, playing piano and hunting.

Molly’s introduction to aerospace came at age 11, when she fell in love with astrophysics while reading her homeschool science curriculum. Her passion was further developed by influential leaders in her life, who opened her eyes to new and incredible experiences in the field. As Molly’s decision to pursue aerospace solidified, she took math and science classes at Pikes Peak State College. This led her to develop a love of teaching and assisting like-minded individuals while working in the college’s tutoring center. Outside of academics, Molly has a strong love for her community. She has been active in her church youth group and has volunteered in various areas within her church. She was also a senior member of her high school’s student council and social events team. In her free time, Molly enjoys crocheting, singing, playing guitar and working with cosmetics.

Madison decided to pursue engineering after speaking with a high school teacher about her future. This teacher also happened to be the welding instructor at her high school. Madison has received several welding certifications and plans to become a welding engineer after obtaining her bachelor’s in industrial engineering. She is the president of the Student Council, FCCLA, National Honor Society, Pep Club and her senior class. Madison spends her weekends singing at her local church and tending to her flock of chickens. Along with welding and engineering, Madison enjoys music, graphic design, reading about her faith and promoting her online beauty business.

John grew up in Kirkwood, Missouri, a suburb of St. Louis. He loves to learn and problem-solve, leading him to take several machining and engineering classes throughout high school, which ignited his interest in pursuing an engineering pathway in college. John plays racquetball for his high school and won a high school national title in men’s doubles in 2024. He is also an avid golfer and plays for his school’s team, representing the Pioneers at the 2024 Missouri State Golf Tournament. When not at school or playing sports, John spends much of his free time with friends and family and participates in Young Life. He enjoys reading, mountain biking, hiking, scuba diving and traveling to find new adventures.

Wichita State University is Kansas' only urban public research university, enrolling more than 23,000 students between its main campus and WSU Tech, including students from every state in the U.S. and more than 100 countries. Wichita State and WSU Tech are recognized for being student centered and innovation driven.

Located in the largest city in the state with one of the highest concentrations in the United States of jobs involving science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), Wichita State University provides uniquely distinctive and innovative pathways of applied learning, applied research and career opportunities for all of our students. The National Science Foundation ranked WSU No. 1 in the nation for aerospace engineering R&D, No. 2 for industry-funded engineering R&D and No. 8 overall for engineering R&D.

The Innovation Campus, which is a physical extension of the Wichita State University main campus, is one of the nation’s largest and fastest-growing research/innovation parks, encompassing over 120 acres and is home to a number of global companies and organizations.

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