he Financial Aid and Scholarships office at the University of Kansas has announced the names of new students earning the university’s merit scholarships for top graduates of Kansas high schools.

Emily Ann Beran, a Claflin High School graduate, was one of 118 new students who received either a Solon Summerfield or Elizabeth Miller Watkins-Emily Berger scholarship for fall 2010. These two scholarships provide $4,500 a year for four years to Kansas high school graduates with distinguished academic and leadership records. Beran received the Watkins-Berger scholarship. Emily is the daughter of Lisa and Gerald Beran, and is a freshman majoring in political science.

To be eligible for the Watkins-Berger scholarships, Kansas high school seniors need a cumulative grade-point average of 3.65 (on a4.0 scale) and an ACT score of 31 or higher or SAT score of 1360 in math and critical reading. KU Endowment manages the funds for the Summerfield and Watkins-Berger scholarships. Founded in 1891, KU Endowment is the oldest foundation of its kind at a U.S. public university.