New scholarships available
Emporia State University
Thursday, July 5, 2007
The leader of a long-time Emporia business has started a scholarship for Emporia State University secondary education students as a way to give back to the community in which his family’s business flourished.
Meanwhile, two other scholarships — the Francis and Phyllis Sanders Teaching Scholarship and the Twila J. Stone Teaching Scholarship — were recently created to support students of ESU’s Teachers College, a college labeled as one of the nation’s top four teacher preparation programs in a study by a former Columbia University dean and education expert.
The spirit behind the Kenneth B. Thomas Sr. Family Scholarship was first born when Kenneth Thomas returned from WWII with a heart of gratitude, giving him the willingness to help others. Thomas moved to Emporia with his wife, Dolly, in 1945, to assist his father, Joseph Thomas, in building the family business. Today, Thomas Transfer and Storage is operated in Emporia, Wichita and Houston, Texas.
Thomas, a recipient of the Purple Heart and Silver Star, was inspired to give by retired Brig. Gen. Art Bloomer, who worked at Thomas Transfer while studying at ESU. The scholarship itself will benefit secondary education students, with a focus on students preparing to teach math and science.
Six of Thomas’s family members attended ESU, and five hold degrees. With his gift, Thomas hopes to inspire others to give back to the community.
The Thomas gift, along with the Sanders and Stone scholarships, provides crucial financial support so that students can “focus on becoming excellent teachers for 21st century classrooms,” said Tes Mehring, dean of the teachers college.
“With the cost of tuition rising each year, scholarships are incredibly important for our students,” she said. “It is nearly impossible for education students to hold down jobs during semesters they are involved in clinical experiences in classrooms.”
The Francis and Phyllis Sanders Teaching Scholarship was created by the Sanderses to honor public education and the teaching profession. The scholarship is reserved for education majors who are student teaching.
Francis and Phyllis earned their ESU education degrees in 1966. Phyllis earned her ESU master’s degree in 1972, while Francis earned his from Kansas State University in 1972. They taught for 33 years each, and both were named Master Teachers for Geary County by the Junction City Education Association.
With their gift, the Junction City residents hope to assist tomorrow’s educators as they earn degrees.
The Twila J. Stone Teaching Scholarship honors Twila Stone, who earned her education degree at ESU in 1955, while supporting Teachers College students from Lyon County and Kansas high schools.
Stone, an Emporia resident who taught in Kansas schools for seven years before starting a family, hopes that the scholarship will encourage bright young people to enter the teaching field. Her husband, two sons and three sisters all hold ESU degrees.