Six Salina Seniors Honored as Governor’s Scholars

A half-dozen Salina students were honored as Governor’s Scholars on Sunday.

According to USD 305, the 2022 Kansas Governor’s Scholars Award Program was held Sunday at Washburn University in Topeka. Scholars were honored for being in the top academic one percent of Kansas high school seniors.

Both Salina Central and Salina South high schools had three scholars honored this year.

Central High School Governor’s Scholars:

Charles Goldbach
Aryan Kevat
Benjamin Kraft

South High School Governor’s Scholars:

Lainey Brown
Zoe Norton
Emma Shulda

Scholars from Central High School

Charles Goldbach plans to study chemistry at the University of Kansas with the goal of becoming a radiation oncologist. Charles credits his mother for showing him what goes into being a medical professional – it influenced his goal to provide excellent health care. His favorite memory is the final dress rehearsal of One Man Two Guvnors when a character had their pacemaker fall out on stage. He explains, “They then pretended to die. Going through the rest of the scene without them and just reacting as my character would in that moment was a highlight of my high school experience.”

Aryan Kevat will attend the University of Kansas to study computer science before beginning a career in software development and engineering. Aryan’s favorite memory is, “Our Scholar’s Bowl tournament at SE of Saline. It was a hectic experience trying to assemble a last-minute team but it turned out to be genuinely fun through both the heat of the competition and our team bonding antics.” His advice for younger students is, “Be not afraid of what comes next. I have done many things in high school. I know that all the opportunities I seized have ultimately sculpted who I am today and who I will become. Take risks and learn who you really are.”

Benjamin Kraft will attend the University of Kansas where he will major in chemistry. His high school experiences that supported him in making future plans include soccer, orchestra, theatre and Scholar’s Bowl. Benjamin’s favorite memory is the warm-ups before the final showing of Peter and the Star-Catcher. Benjamin shares this thought for younger students, “School really is what you make of it. Make school set you up to achieve your dreams.”

Scholars from South High School

Lainey Brown will attend Bethany College where she will play soccer and major in chemistry. She aims for a career as an ophthalmologist or optometrist. Lainey credits her experiences in soccer and various medical classes as supporting her development of future plans. A favorite memory is when history teachers “attacked” the soccer team with nerf toys during conditioning. Her advice for younger students? Lainey shared, “Always give your best effort because even when you can’t control the outcome of a situation, you can always control how hard you work.”

Zoe Norton plans to attend Kansas State University and major in mechanical engineering. Her favorite memory was, learning how physics relates to golf. Zoe explained, “I remember that everything I had learned started to make sense in the chapter about torque, force and momentum.” Her love of golf, an understanding of physics and classes such as freshman drafting and Principles of engineering, led to her future plans. Zoe encourages younger students to work hard and study now to develop good habits that will apply outside of school.

Emma Shulda will study environmental engineering at Kansas State University. She loves being outdoors and helping the environment. Experiences at South High School that supported her future plans include the sense of community that is built through opportunities such as her band and theatre participation. Emma described her favorite memory from high school, sharing “The entirety of senior prom was a blast.” Her best suggestion for younger students is, “Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Everyone starts off confused.”