Funding your high-quality Wichita State education is easy. Just get admitted, and
if you're eligible, we'll send you an automatic scholarship offer. Don't forget about
other scholarship and financial aid opportunities. You could qualify for some of the
$100 million+ we award each year. In addition, many of our out-of-state students are
eligible for in-state or reduced tuition.
Wichita State University has selected the 2025 recipients of the Harry Gore Memorial
Scholarships. Each student will receive a $64,000 scholarship to attend Wichita State
in August 2025.
The 2025 Gore Scholars are:
Maddie Sohm, Russell High School
Beckett Sollars, Park Hill Senior High School (Missouri)
Aidan Thibodeau, Herington High School
The students competed in the Distinguished Scholarship Invitational in November, with
548 other students also competing. To be invited to compete in the invitational, students
had to have a 27 or higher ACT score, a 3.5 or higher GPA, or rank in the top 10%
of their class. Once invited, students completed an application, including essays
and competed in an on-campus leadership competition. Twelve finalists came back to
campus 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 WSU.
Maddie Sohm
Maddie Sohm will be majoring in industrial engineering at Wichita State. She currently
serves as president of Student Council and National Honor Society at Russell High
School. Sohm is a varsity athlete for volleyball, basketball, track & field and is
the captain of her high school dance team. In Family, Career and Community Leaders
of America (FCCLA), Sohm resides as the chapter president and was a state and national
qualifier in 2024. She serves the community of Russell by serving food at a local
church, organizing elementary school events, leading Sunday School and creating birthday
baskets for the homeless.
Beckett Sollars
Sollars plans to major in nursing. Sollars is a four-year participant and team captain
of his school’s soccer team, participant in track & field and upperclassmen team leader
for wrestling. He serves as the senior class president on Leadership Council and has
spoken at over 35 public speaking engagements representing his high school. Sollars
has completed two internships while in high school: the Aspiring Medical Professional
Internship where he shadowed in three Kansas City area hospitals and is currently
interning with the Kansas City Sports Network this spring semester.
“Beckett is one of the most authentic students I have ever met,” said Poppy Lee, Beckett’s
LEAD Innovation Studio math teacher and Student Council Sponsor. “His energizing personality
and ability to relate to people of all ages is uncanny. He is always the first to
volunteer to help and will always put his best foot forward. He works effortlessly
to get the job done and then volunteers for the next. All I have ever heard about
Beckett is positive. I have no doubt that Beckett will continue to be an outstanding
leader at Wichita State.”
“To me the traits that I believe will unquestionably make Mr. Sollars successful at
the university level, beyond the basic student skills, are his growth mindset, resilience
and perseverance, and confident humility,” said Daniel Motta, Beckett’s design thinking
teacher and AP teacher for three years. “He has learned to have faith in his abilities
while maintaining an openness and willingness to rethink ideas. To me, this is the
whole point of academia and scholarship — having the willingness to question assumptions
and do the work to validate or change your thinking.”
Aidan Thibodeau
Thibodeau is planning to study health science with aspirations to become a physician
associate. He currently serves as president of his local chapter of Future Business
Leaders of America (FBLA) and is the executive vice president for the state board
of FBLA. Thibodeau is the captain of the Herington High School Cheer Squad, president
of National Honor Society and chief editor of the Herington High School Yearbook.
“Aidan has made a tremendous positive impact on our school, community and our cheerleading
team,” said Kymberly Harper, Herington High School cheer coach. “Aidan has a strong
work ethic and is dedicated and disciplined. He always puts in the effort to achieve
goals and inspire others to do the same. Aidan has a positive attitude which creates
a motivating atmosphere and encourages others to stay focused and confident. Aidan
thrives in new and challenging environments and is able to quickly adjust to find
creative solutions. Aidan consistently strives to do his best, setting high standards
for himself and those around him.”
“Aidan does an amazing job of putting himself in situations that give him opportunities,”
said Lisa Beye, FBLA sponsor, business teacher and athletic director in Herington.
“He takes on these opportunities to the best of his abilities and is willing to go
above and beyond for others. He is a very hard-working individual with a caring personality.”
About Wichita State University
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 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.
