50 KS high school students surprised with full-ride scholarships

Thursday night provided a moment in Wichita that 50 high school students in Kansas won't forget.

All of them gathered for a dinner Thursday though they were finalists for a scholarship opportunity and that the winner would be announced during the event. To their collective surprise, every single student received a full-ride scholarship to attend either Wichita State University, Kansas State University, Pittsburg State University or Baker University.

The scholarship availability for all the students is possible thanks to the generosity of a couple from the Kansas City area. It's an opportunity some students say they could only dream of.

For high school senior Aliah Thomas, the scholarship means she'll be able to attend college when she didn't think that would be an option prior to Thursday.

Bob Carr started the effort to provide full-ride scholarships for lower-income students almost 20 years ago. Peter and Veronica Mallouck elevated the effort in Kansas.

"We were all on the same page about the value of higher education for underprivileged children who maybe wouldn't go to college without help," Carr says. "So, we decided to start a program here in Kansas. Together, we invested about $5 million to start this program and to fund it for 50 students."