The 26 members of the 2014 class  of the Kansas Academy of Mathematics and Science will graduate at 3 p.m. on Saturday, May 10, in Fort Hays State University’s Memorial Union, Fort Hays Ballroom.
This is the Academy’s fourth graduating class. Members voted to name their class the Vanguards.
“This group of students has a phenomenal road ahead of them,” said Ron Keller, KAMS director. “They have a great start with what they have accomplished while in the program. Seven of the 26 students will remain here at FHSU, while nine of them will be attending other Kansas state schools, for a total of 16 students staying in state. We are very proud of them and know they will do great things.”
Dr. Edward H. Hammond, FHSU president, will give the address. Also in attendance will be the academy’s co-founders, Dr. Donald Norwood and Professor Jerry Magliano.
The Kansas Board of Regents sited KAMS on the FHSU campus in 2008 following an extensive selection process. The Kansas Legislature established the Academy to promote mathematics and science education, to reduce the “brain drain” in which many of the best and brightest young Kansans go out-of-state universities and never return, and to promote economic development by providing a well-educated workforce.
Some of the many notable accomplishments by the members of the Vanguard class are:
Pratik Patel has been accepted for the Self Engineering Leadership Fellows Program in the Engineering School at the University of Kansas.
Amber Perdew has been awarded the Presidential Scholarship to attend the University of Colorado at Boulder beginning in fall 2014. This scholarship is awarded only to the top 1 percent of all out-of-state students.
Samuel DeVore  was selected to represent FHSU at the Global Initiatives Conference in Washington, D.C., in November 2013.
Arynne Smallback received the Chancellor Scholarship and the Trustee Scholarship to attend John Brown University in fall 2014. In February 2014, she also served as the “head delegate” of Cuba for the Model United Nations in St. Louis, MO.
Junyu Zhang was named a Global Scholar by the Stevens Institute of Technology in New Jersey for the 2014-2015 school year.
Michael Cory was named a Kansas State Scholar by the Kansas Board of Regents  during spring 2014.
The Vanguards graduates are: Tanner Swartz, son of Edward and Louise Swartz, La Crosse High School; Junyu Zhang, son of Zhongequan Zhang and Dangling Liu, Anshun, China; Morgan Linder, daughter of Brett and Renee Linder, Baldwin High School; Tianhao Yu, son of Jinging Yu and Airong Duan, Beijing, China; Shelby Young, daughter of Elmer and Darbie Young, Chapman High School; Amber Perdew, daughter of Don Perdew and Joanie Brighton, Goodland High School; MinYoung Kim, Gtwang Ju, South Korea; Elliot Bicker, son of Micah and Cindy Bicker, Hiawatha High School; Libby Lewis, daughter of Jeffry and Christine Lewis and Abigail (A.J.) Ladner, daughter of John and Christine Ladner, Lawrence Free State High School, Lawrence; Samuel DeVore, son of Ronald and Angela DeVore, Lyons High School; Mason Gates, son of Randall and Renee Gates, Manhattan High School; Adam Stenson, son of Philip Stenson and Lisa Allen, Olathe Northwest High School; Codie Webster, son of Lynn and Marla Webster, Blue Valley High School; Eleanor (Elle) Justin, daughter of Jean Justin, Shawnee Mission South High School; Pratik Patel, son of Jitendra and Amita Patel, Salina Central High School; Arynne Smallback, daughter of William and Michelle Smallback, Topeka High School; Abigail Dishman, daughter of Kevin and Julie Dishman, Washburn Rural High School, Gabriel (Gabe) Horton, son of Michael and Christine Horton, Seaman High School; Alexa Melvin, daughter of Vince and Barb Melvin, Washburn Rural High School, all in Topeka; Nathan Nehring, son of Ronald and Kelly Nehring, Wamego High School; BreAnna Terry, daughter of J.D. and Heather Terry, Goddard High School and Michael Cory, son of Robert and Beverly Cory, Andover High School, both in Wichita.