Four high school students were announced as the 2024 Kansas Business Hall of Fame essay contest award winners.
Each of the four awardees receive their $500 share of a $2,000 donation from the Kansas Chamber of Commerce.
The KBHF essay contest is open to any 9th-12th-grade students from the state of Kansas, including homeschooled students. For the essay, students can choose one inductee among the 35 contemporary inductees and 40 historical business leaders in the Kansas Business Hall of Fame to research.
Students then write a 500–1,000 word essay, including information on their chosen inductee that inspires the writer. Students are encouraged to add their personal thoughts and views regarding the theme and themselves in their writing.
Since the contest’s establishment in 2017, the contest has awarded nearly 50 students around the state of Kansas. This year alone, the contest saw 66 total entries from 14 different high schools.
2024 KBFH contest winners and their chosen inductee include:
- Addilyn Bruns, a homeschooled freshman from Topeka, researched 1991 historical inductee Arthur Capper. Capper was a statesman, publisher, and benefactor of handicapped children.
- Aubryn Garriott, a senior from Olpe High School, researched 2018 contemporary inductee Bill Kurtis, who is a newsman and Kansas developer.
- Lucy Krebsbach, a homeschooled freshman from Meriden, researched 2023 historical inductee Charles Walker, who was an entrepreneur, conservationist, and philanthropist.
- Benjamin Soyka, a senior from Leavenworth High School, researched historical 1997 inductee Warren Augustine Bechtel, who was a construction engineer and international contractor.
“The Kansas Business Hall of Fame is proud to honor these students and their instructors, who, through these essays, help us better understand the rich tradition of entrepreneurship and innovation that our state has fostered,” KBHF Board Chair Dr. James Leiker said.
The 2024 contest was judged by ten business professionals on the board of directors for KBHF, including Susan Elliott, Beth Ginter, Paul Grimes, Sherriene Jones-Sontag, Connie Lindell, Jeff Muldoon, John Rich, Butch Sim, Ed Bashaw, and Jim Shepherd.
This year’s contest winners are invited to attend the Kansas Business Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony to be hosted at the Emporia State campus in Cremer Hall, home to the School of Business and Technology, on June 13.
Deadlines for the 2025 essay contest will be announced later this fall. Teachers and students can learn more about the KBHF essay contest at http://www.ksbhf.org/.
