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GB FUMC awards more than $149K to students
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Courtesy photo Great Bend First United Methodist Church Pastor Robert Selvakumar poses with a few of the USD 428 2026 scholarship winners. Pastor Robert and Lay Leader Susan Young presented scholarships to the USD 428 winners at their awards program. Other scholarship winners had their awards mailed to them. Pictured are (left to right): Jocelyn Ward, Aliya Johnson, Quinton Heath, Pastor Robert Selvakumar, Aaron Ramirez, and Shannon Ern Robert David.

Great Bend First United Methodist Church awarded a total of $149,400 for 2026-2027 Academic year to area high school seniors and college students through 35 new scholarships and 23 renewals.

This amount is up over $25,000 and 18 scholarships over last year, Rev. Robert Selvakumar and Susan Young, lay leader of the church, presented awards to Great Bend High School seniors at their awards ceremony.

Scholarships for DeSoto High School, Macksville High School and Ness City High School seniors, as well as the renewals to current college students, were mailed.

GBFUMC offers two scholarships and administers nine others. Information about the scholarships may be found on their website: www.gbfumc.org

The application process starts Jan. 1st and ends March 15th of each year.

Scholarships were awarded this year to:

Charley C. Byers Scholarship

New: Kyndall Blessing; Shannon Ern Robert David; Kaden Deines

Renewal: Breonna Landers; Paige Thexton

Wayne & Betty Banks Scholarship

New: Shannon Ern Robert David; Jake Janoski

Renewal: Faith Starr

Anol W. Beahm Scholarship

New: Fabian Guerrero

Richard C. Brining Scholarship

New: Giovanni Garay

Renewal: Paige Thexton

Henry & Tennie Farishier Scholarship

New: Ava Chadd (Macksville)

Clifford & Pauline Getz Scholarship

Renewal: Anna Campbell; Kevin Gonzalez; Sheridan Johnson; Wyatt Sutton (Ness City)

Dan and Jean Swartz Scholarship

New: Kamryn Koelsch

HH & Tennie Kopke Scholarship

New: Sydney Bailey; Kyndall Blessing; Lakyn Carroll; Shannon Ern; Robert David; Kaden Deines; Giovanni Garay; Allie Gerhardt; Zachary Goodenough; Kodi Greer; Melissa Guiterrez; Quinton Heath; Aliya Johnson; Sheridan Johnson; Taylor Lashley; Katherine Mazouch; Aaron Ramirez; Wyatt Sutton; Kate Welcher

Renewal: Morgan Beckwith; Keighyn Drombroski; Darcy Fiest; Kevin Gonzalez; Ava Gregg; Madelynn Gregg; Adelyn Irwin; Griffin King; Cailyn Murphy; Macy Nachtigal; Slade Mohr; Jillian Reimer; Maleigha Ribordy; Eliana Teri; Paige Thexton; Ava Thill

George & Doris Penner Scholarship

New: Josiah Bunselmeyer (DeSoto); Aaron Ramirez