CU of America Awards $20,000 in Post-Secondary Scholarships

April 23, 2019
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(Wichita, KS - Credit Union of America (CUA) awarded ten (10) $2,000 educational scholarships to students at an awards dinner held the evening of April 16, 2019. Students and their families were presented with the checks that can be used for tuition and/or living expenses related to their post-secondary education. The John Michener Scholarship program is named after and honors CUA’s founding father.  Michener was a science teacher at East High school in 1934 when he pursued the idea of starting a credit union for Wichita teachers.  Originally known as the Wichita City Teachers’ Credit Union, Credit Union of America is now the second largest credit union in Kansas, open to the community with over 75,000 members and assets totaling 944.5 million dollars. 

Recipients were required to be a member of the Credit Union and complete an application that outlined their community and school involvement, academic information, and compose an essay defining financial literacy and how financial literacy can impact their future success. A team of CUA staff and Board/Committee volunteers reviewed the blind-applications and selected the recipients.

The scholarship recipients are:

Camille Buranday
Attends:                       Wichita State University
Field of Study:             Marketing/Management Information Systems
Desired Career:          Product Manager

Julie Howey
Attends:                       Kansas State University
Field of Study:             Psychology
Desired Career:          Occupational Therapist

Hayden Irving
Attends:                       Wichita Northeast Magnet High School
Will Attend:                  University of Missouri KC
Field of Study:             Business
Desired Career:          Marketing/Advertising

Paul Johnson
Attends:                       Benedictine College
Field of Study:             Civil Engineering
Desired Career:          Licensed Professional Structural Engineer

Caroline Laycock
Attends:                       University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Field of Study:             Hospitality, Restaurant, and Tourism Management
Desired Career:          Event Planner

Andres Leland
Attends:                       University of Chicago
Field of Study:             Anthropology; Human Rights
Desired Career:          Lawyer

Alyssa McNany
Attends:                       Wichita South High    
Will Attend:                  Wichita State University
Field of Study:             Athletics                     
Desired Career:          Athletic Training

Jenna McKaig
Attends:                       Wichita State University        
Field of Study:             Biological Sciences/Biomedical
Desired Career:          Optometry

Kamryn Stark
Attends:                       Cloud County Community College
Will Attend:                  Kansas State University
Field of Study:             Nutrition and Kinesio9logy
Desired Career:          Personal Trainer/Nutritionist

Natalie Werner
Attends:                       Sedgwick High School
Will Attend:                  Wichita State University
Field of Study:             Elementary/Special Education with a minor in Spanish
Desired Career:          Special Education Teacher for Multiple Disabled
                                   Students/Educational Specialist in School Psychology

CUA serves over 75,000 members online and at fourteen (14) full-service locations in Wichita, Derby, Goddard, Hutchinson, Pratt, Great Bend, and Salina, and maintains a corporate office in Wichita.  Credit Union of America, founded originally as a teachers’ credit union, now serves a community-based field of membership, with special interest and expertise in serving educators and healthcare workers. Established in 1935, CUA is member owned and operates as a full-service financial cooperative providing low-cost checking, savings, investments, personal and mortgage loans, and business services. CUA assets currently total $944.5 million and loans total $765.8 million, as of March 31, 2019.  Deposits are insured by the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA), a U.S. Government Agency.  CUA is an Equal Housing Lender and Equal Opportunity Employer.              

Quantifying the Good
$20K+ Scholarship Totals
$54K+ Total All Time Reported Impact