Olathe High School, Class of 1953 has established a scholarship in honor of Mrs. Amelia W. Shears. Mrs. Shears taught English, Spanish, Latin and French for 47 years in Olathe schools.
Scholarships
- Most scholarships will be submitted online. Click the application link below associated with the scholarship(s) you wish to apply for.
- Applicants will be asked to create a new account or log-in with an existing on-line scholarship application account.
- When creating your scholarship application account, please check the box to receive text notifications about your application. It is recommended you create your account using an email address you check often.
- You may save your application and return at a later time to complete and submit your application by logging back into your account.
- Most scholarship winners will be announced at each high school’s senior award night in the spring. All scholarship recipients will also be notified by mail and/or email.
- Most scholarships require the applicant to graduate from an Olathe Public Schools high school.
- All scholarships are paid directly to the educational institution. Scholarship funds are not paid directly to students or their families.
- 10 Tips for Winning College Scholarships
- Scholarship Organizer
Spring 2023 Scholarship Recipients Scholarship questions? Contact 913-780-8222 or OPSFscholarships@olatheschools.org
Scholarship Descriptions
This award was created by the Olathe Junior Service League and pays tribute to one of their members, Amy Pierron, who passed away in 2000. Amy was an active volunteer, serving on the Board of Directors for the Olathe Community Theatre Association. She also helped found and promote the first Hidden Glen Arts Festival, and helped organize benefits for the Deaf Cultural Center and the Olathe Area Chamber of Commerce. She was a member of the Drama Mamas, a group that helps locate resources, props and costumes for high school theatrical productions.
On March 9 2018, Andrew Caraway, a sophomore student at Olathe West and member of the Public Safety Academy, tragically passed away due to an unexpected seizure that took place during the evening hours. Andrew was an active member of the Olathe West Public Safety Academy and he had all of the qualities of a future first responder. There are many attributes that Andrew displayed on a daily basis while serving others within his community and the academy. A term often used to describe Andrew's natural character was "self-less." On his final day, he exhibited this quality by donating blood during the school blood drive and participating in the set-up and clean-up of the Johnson County Sheriff's Office Awards Ceremony later that evening. Although Andrew is no longer with us, his legacy to serve others will continue to be an intricate part of the Olathe West Public Safety Academy. The Public Safety Academy has created an educational scholarship fund in honor of Andrew and his family. The Andrew Caraway Scholarship Fund will assist Olathe West Public Safety Academy students as they move on with their post-secondary education. Two $1,000 scholarships will be awarded to assist Public Safety Academy graduating seniors with educational expenses (1 Fire Rescue student and 1 Law Enforcement student).
This $1,500 scholarship was created to honor Azalia Morales and her dedication to the CTE two-year programs at OATC. This scholarship is designed to encourage all graduates to pursue a post-secondary education in a CTE area.
These scholarships were established as a tribute to Josh Anderson, Olathe West's Debate and Forensics coach. One $1,000 scholarship will be awarded at each Olathe high school this spring to an outstanding student in either Debate or Forensics.
This scholarship was established by the Brogden family as a tribute to the outstanding Student Naturalist program at Olathe Northwest and to the leadership of retired teacher, Mike McRoberts. One $1,500 scholarship will be awarded to an Olathe Northwest High School senior who took the Student Naturalist course and plans to major in a life science related field.
This scholarship was established by the Brogden family as a tribute to the outstanding visual arts program at Olathe Northwest. Two $1,000 scholarships will be awarded to Olathe Northwest High School seniors who participated in the Visual Arts program.
This scholarship honors the memory of Claude “Buck” William Kauffman. Buck was a metal polisher at his family’s business, Performance Plating. He was the third generation to work there. Buck was an avid drag racer and spent most weekends with his family and “racing family” at Kansas City International Raceway. Buck loved restoring antique cars and doing yard work. Buck’s family has launched this scholarship to support a senior student in the welding, culinary arts or carpentry program at OATC.
The Bustillo family, with ongoing support from the Olathe ELL Advisory Council has established a scholarship benefitting students who participate in the Olathe District Schools’ ELL program.
Cale Miller was a 2007 graduate of Olathe Northwest High School where he was a member of the football and track and field teams. He also played trumpet in the marching and jazz bands. In February 2011, he joined the Army, where he was a member of Bravo Company, 4th Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, stationed out of Fort Lewis, Wash. He served his country with honor and paid the ultimate price for our freedom. In his memory, the American Legion Riders, Post 153, Olathe have established this scholarship with the Olathe Public Schools Foundation.
One $5,000 scholarship will be awarded to an Olathe North High School senior each year. The applicant must be pursuing allied health or nursing, information technology, electrical technology, automotive technology, welding, HVAC, religious studies or social welfare.
The Olathe Northwest Black Student Union offers a scholarship each year to a Black/African American student in memory of Camille Moore-Johnson. Ms. Camille, as she was known to her students, was a strong, proud African American educator and community leader who was passionate about Black history, agency, and achievement. She firmly believed in the necessity of continuing one's education after high school and in serving the community.
One $5,000 scholarship will be awarded to an Olathe North High School senior each year. The applicant must be pursuing education, engineering, religious studies, social welfare or medicine.
This scholarship was established in memory of Catherine L. Smith to provide an academic scholarship to an Olathe South High School graduating senior who plans a career as an English Language Arts educator, or as a writer; or plans to major in English; or has participated in Debate and/or Forensics for four (4) or more semesters and is enrolled in one of those programs as a senior.
This scholarship was established as a tribute to Chad Brown by his daughter Caitlin Brown in recognition of Mr. Brown's dedication to teaching and coaching at Olathe East High School. His daughter is seeking to carry on Mr. Brown's legacy by promoting higher education opportunities for scholarship recipients.
The P.E.O. sisterhood is a philanthropic education organization with chapters in the United States and Canada. Their purpose is to promote the education of women through loans, grants and scholarships. This scholarship is funded by Olathe Chapter GR to encourage women to believe in themselves, while supporting and motivating other women to achieve their highest aspirations. For more information www.peointernational.org.
This award was created by the Character Council of Olathe to recognize a student who has outstanding character and has demonstrated the Student’s Guiding Principals set by the Olathe School District.
This scholarship was established by Charlie and Amy Wunsch to encourage students who have participated in the Olathe Public Schools Bridge to Success Mentoring Cohort for Transitional Age Youth to further their education at a Kansas technical program or a two or four year college/university program.
Friends and family of Conner Taylor established this annual scholarship in his loving memory to provide a scholarship for the member of the Olathe Northwest baseball team who is selected to receive the Conner Taylor Memorial Raven Award each year.
This $1,000 scholarship was created by the parents of OATC administrator Dr. Amy Stolz in memory of her brother, Craig McLain and his outstanding work ethic. This scholarship is designed to encourage all graduates of the OATC programs to aspire to be successful in their future technical careers.
This scholarship was created to honor the memory of Creighton Goddard and his passion for working on cars and construction projects. The goal of this scholarship is to recognize the talents of Olathe seniors who seek to enter the workforce after completing either a trade certification program or a 2-year associate degree in a technical education field of study.
In addition to a $1,000 scholarship, recipients who successfully complete their certification program or their 2-year associate degree will be eligible to receive a $500 stipend for work-related tools, uniforms, or other needed items.
This scholarship was created by the Culinary Arts team to honor an outstanding senior in the Olathe Culinary Arts program.
This scholarship was created by the Culinary Arts team to honor outstanding seniors in the Olathe Culinary Arts program who demonstrate a commitment to the program goals and financial need.
The scholarship honors Denis Plumly, a devoted family man and a career public safety officer who spent nearly 40 years serving local residents as a member of the Overland Park Police Department. He worked as a patrol officer, motorcycle officer, accident investigator, and detective. He was an instructor at the Johnson County Regional Police Academy at the JCCC. After his retirement in 2011, Denis volunteered at the Johnson Country Automotive Museum and also served as a trusted advisor to Olathe Public Safety Academy.
The e-Communication Scholarship was created to honor one outstanding senior in each of the e-Communication Capstone areas. Each student will demonstrate a high commitment to exceeding all expectations in their focus area while mastering technical skills, communication, collaboration, leadership, and project management skills. One $500 scholarship will be awarded in each of the 6 Capstone areas:
- Animation
- Convergence Journalism
- Graphic Design
- Entertainment Video
- Sports Information
- Web Design
The Ernst Strong motto is "Never Say Quit." The friends and family of John Ernst have created the Ernst Strong Scholarship to encourage students to work hard for their dreams. The ideal candidates for this scholarship will be active and engaged in school and/or community-based activities, but are not expected to have "done it all."
This scholarship was established in memory of Ervin D. Wright II, who was a dedicated and beloved Olathe North High School wrestling and track coach for many years. He dedicated his life to nurturing comprehensive excellence in everyone around him. The ideal candidates for this scholarship should be a senior member of the Olathe North wrestling team (boy or girl) and display integrity, possess a strong work ethic and be willing to work hard. Students should plan to continue their education at a 2 or 4-year college or university or a technical school.
This scholarship encourages a graduating senior who is currently in foster care to further their education at a technical program or a two or four year college/university program.
The Gary Dykman Memorial Scholarship was created to honor Gary's long career as a public school teacher in Industrial Arts and Technical Theater in the Olathe School District. He had a gift for connecting with students by entrusting them with projects and power tools to craft the sets he designed for theater productions. The winner of Olathe East Theatre Department's Gary Dykman Award will receive a $1,000 scholarship.
This scholarship was established in memory of Ronald Max Green and Tulsa Lea Green to provide academic scholarships to students graduating from the high schools in Olathe District Schools who choose to pursue a career in instrumental music education. The Olathe Public Schools Foundation will award a Green Scholarship annually to at least one graduating senior of an Olathe high school.
This scholarship was established as a tribute to Gwen and Gary Poss by the Olathe Northwest High School staff and community, and funded by the Brogden Family in recognition of Dr. Poss’ outstanding service to her students, on the occasion of her retirement as principal. The Olathe Public Schools Foundation will award one $1,000 Gwen and Gary Poss A.V.I.D. Scholarship annually to an Olathe Northwest senior.
In memory of Hazel E. Ford, the English department at Olathe North selects an outstanding student to receive a $500 scholarship.
This scholarship was funded by Home Depot Pro (formerly SupplyWorks), a one-stop shop for building maintenance solutions, in support of the outstanding contribution made to the success of Olathe Public Schools by the building custodial staff. Each year, two to six scholarships will be awarded to direct dependents of Olathe District custodial staff, ranging from $500 to $1,500.
This scholarship is dedicated to future educators who have the goal of inspiring the love of learning. It is the Eakin Family's hope that their mother's love of learning, connection with kids, and commitment to teaching and coaching will continue with the teachers of our future. Throughout her career, their mother's influence was felt: she strived to positively impact each student, delivering high expectations with her infectious positive personality. Her legacy now lives on through her four daughters and son who are educators and coaches in the area. It is the hope of her children that her legacy and passion for the profession of education continues to the next generation of teachers…you!
This scholarship was established in memory of Olathe West Class of 2021 senior, Jade Burkhart, who passed away at the beginning of her senior year. Jade was so proud to be an "original Owl" and was a member and leader on the Olathe West cheer team during her freshman and sophomore years. She loved music, was very artistic, intelligent, perceptive, charismatic, loving, independent, and exceptionally motivated in the pursuit of all her life goals. Jade had hoped to attend the University of Kansas and pursue a career in medicine.
Jerad graduated Olathe Northwest High School in 2008 and actively involved himself in the school’s 21st Century Program, Aerospace and Engineering and was one of the founding members of FIRST Robotics Team 1710.
This scholarship was established by the Jewett Family and the Jewett Insurance Agency in recognition of the outstanding educational and extra-curricular experiences the Jewett siblings enjoyed at Olathe Northwest High Schools.
This scholarship was established by the Jewett Family and the Jewett Insurance Agency in recognition of the outstanding educational and extra-curricular experiences the Jewett siblings enjoyed at Olathe Northwest High School.
Justin "Ski" Galewski graduated from Olathe North High School in 1992 and joined the Army in 1993 where he was a member of the 710th Ordnance Company based in San Diego, CA. Staff Sergeant Galewski was killed in action on April 15, 2022, while serving in Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. He was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart Medal. In his memory, the American Legion Riders, Post 153, Olathe has established this scholarship with the Olathe Public Schools Foundation.
This scholarship honors the memory of Dr. Jyotsna Garg who was an integral part of the M.U.F.F.I.N FUND group. Jyotsna was a real fighter who while battling cancer for five years, still supported and helped our community children through the M.U.F.F.I.N FUND group. She enjoyed plants, photography and art and loved to teach those to anyone who was interested. M.U.F.F.I.N FUND has launched this scholarship to help a senior going to the field of photography, agriculture, horticulture or visual arts.
Created by a legacy gift from Peggy Huggins in memory of her mother, Kathleen Macoubrie Smith, this scholarship recognizes the efforts of graduating seniors who plan to study English at the University of Kansas.
This scholarship was created in honor of retired Olathe teacher and administrator Kathy Musgrave to commemorate her role in the creation of the Sports Medicine program at Olathe North. This $2,000 scholarship will be awarded to one Olathe North Sports Medicine and Exercise Science Academy participant, in the hopes that it will enable them to better themselves academically and lighten the financial burden of college. This scholarship seeks to award students who value the role physical activity plays in maintaining a healthy lifestyle and who plan to pursue further education in a health-related field. This scholarship was created in honor of retired Olathe teacher and administrator Kathy Musgrave to commemorate her role in the creation of the Sports Medicine program at Olathe North.
This $2,000 scholarship was created in honor of Olathe teacher and administrator Kathy Musgrave to commemorate her role in the leadership of the Olathe Advanced Technical Program and the move to their new facilities on Nelson Road.
Created in memory of Olathe high school science teacher Keith "Corky" Barnes, this scholarship will award one $10,000 scholarship to a graduating senior from Olathe North and Olathe South high schools pursuing a course of study in a science field.
This scholarship was established in memory of Leon and Gretchen Brewer to provide academic scholarships to lower-income students graduating from the high schools in Olathe District Schools who plan to attend college with a goal of becoming a teacher.
Matthew Michael Murchison was a 2004 graduate of Olathe East High School where he was active in football and wrestling. He served his country with honor and paid the ultimate price for our freedom when he was killed in Iraq on August 4, 2007. In his memory, the American Legion Riders - Olathe Post #153 has established this scholarship with the Olathe Public Schools Foundation.
The McCownGordon Construction Co. is offering a $1,000 scholarship to a senior in the Construction Trades program at the OATC who plans to continue studies in this field at the college/university level.
The family and friends of Michelle Stortz created this scholarship in her memory to support students who attended Regency Place Elementary as they continue their education after high school. This scholarship will support Olathe high school seniors who plan to pursue a degree with a major focused on childhood development (education, psychology, social work, etc.).
In appreciation for the positive experiences their son received from participating in the ONW Debate/Forensics program, the Moormeier Family has established this $1,000 scholarship for a current senior in the program.
In appreciation for the positive experiences their son received from participating in the ONW FIRST Robotics program, the Moormeier Family has established this $1,000 scholarship for a current senior in the program.
In appreciation for the positive experiences their daughter received from participating in the ONW Orchestra program, the Moormeier Family has established this $1,000 scholarship for a current senior in the program.
In honor of his parents, Munsif & Surriya Khan, Dr. Sajid Khan created this scholarship to recognize outstanding character and to encourage Olathe students to consider how they might contribute to society upon graduation.
Scholarships will be awarded to students who are outgoing seniors participating in programs with the Olathe Advanced Technical Center.
The Olathe High School Alumni Association supports this annual scholarship to a senior at Olathe North.
The Olathe Public Schools Alumni Association awards this annual scholarship to a senior at any Olathe Public Schools high school.
The Olathe Public Schools Retired Employees Association supports this annual scholarship for students pursuing a degree in education.
In appreciation and recognition of the education their children received at Olathe South, the Piltz family has established this scholarship for Olathe South seniors. While their children have followed careers that ultimately took them out of Olathe, they do not forget the valued education they received and wish to give back to their Alma Mater.
This scholarship was established in memory of Robert R. Osborne to provide academic scholarships to students graduating from the high schools in Olathe District Schools who choose to pursue a career in business, education or medicine. The Olathe Public Schools Foundation will award an R.R. Osborne Scholarship annually to one graduating senior at each of the district’s high schools.
The Olathe Alumni Association supports this annual scholarship in honor of former Olathe North teacher and coach, Ralph Dennis.
Friends and family members of Rob Jones established this scholarship in his memory to provide a scholarship for an outstanding member of the Olathe South baseball team.
Olathe High School, Class of 1953 has established a scholarship in honor of Mrs. Ruth Ann Hackler. Mrs. Hackler taught business classes at Olathe High School.
This scholarship was established by the Shipley Family in gratitude to the Olathe public safety personnel whose extreme efforts saved the life of a beloved member of their family. It is the Shipley Family's hope that this scholarship will help support an Olathe West High School Public Safety Academy student as they pursue a career in public safety or a related field.
In memory of Jason Arkin, former Blue Valley Northwest student, and Lane Marrs, former Blue Valley West student, in conjunction with the Speak Up Foundation, a $1,000 scholarship is awarded annually to one graduating senior from each of the 5 Olathe Public Schools high schools. This award will consider students who have an interest in and have participated in mental health community activities including involvement with the Speak Up or Sources of Strength programming at their high school and have an interest in using those mental wellness skills in their future endeavors. It is a one-time only award payable to the post-secondary educational institution of the recipient's choice. The award is intended to help pay for tuition, fees and books.
Spencer Duncan was a 2008 graduate of Olathe South High School. After graduating from high school, Spencer enlisted in the United States Army Reserves in June of 2008. His unit was deployed to Operation Enduring Freedom in March of 2011. He served his country with honor and paid the ultimate price for our freedom. In his memory, the American Legion Riders, Post 153, Olathe have established this scholarship with the Olathe Public Schools Foundation.
The Stowell family has been involved in Olathe Public Schools since 1956. As students, employees, teachers and Foundation board members, through the years, their lives have been enriched and their personal values strengthened as a result of all the good Olathe School people. They are grateful for that and believe it important to give back in some small measure by granting a scholarship each year to a deserving Olathe high school senior.
This scholarship was created by the Cornejo Family to support an Olathe South High School Latino or Hispanic student who plans to continue their education after high school at a technical school, 2-year or 4-year college or university. The Cornejo Family was inspired to help students obtain the future they dream of and to feel the support of their community as they set out to accomplish their goals. Successful applicants will demonstrate strong leadership skills and eagerness to fulfill their goals. With community support all students can Dream Big!
Friends and family members of Tara Peck established this scholarship in her memory to provide a scholarship for outstanding Olathe South student athletes. Tara was not just an All-America Soccer player; she really was an All-America Person. Her smile would light up a room and her determination and drive for excellence was what helped make Tara stand out from the crowd. The intent and meaning of this scholarship award is more than just a one-time scholarship for these student-athletes. The students who receive this award reflect the upstanding character of all of the nominees, and for many of the students at Olathe South.