Clara Wicoff is accustomed to academic excellence.
Now, it’s paying off.
The Iola High School senior added the latest feathers to her scholastic career after learning recently that she was named a National Merit Scholarship finalist, one of 7,400 nationally and of fewer than 200 in Kansas. She also was named a recipient of the Kansas State University Presidential Scholarship.
Being named a National Merit finalist opens the doors for a number of scholarships, usuallly enough to allow the student to attend college for free.
But while the National Merit scholarships are limited for K-State students, her Presidential Scholarship more than picks up the slack.
The Presidential Scholarship is worth roughly $20,000 a year.
To earn National Merit honors, Wicoff had to score well on the Scholastic Aptitude Test and the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Tests. She also had to write an essay.
A face-to-face interview was part of the application process for K-State’s Presidential Scholarship.
All the while, Wicoff has maintained a sterling academic record at IHS, and is part of its LifeSmarts team that recently qualified for nationals (see related story on Page A1.)
“I’m excited about it,” she said. “These are the scholarships I wanted.”
Wicoff plans to attend K-State — she also strongly considered attending Oklahoma State University — to study ag economics, global food distribution and pre-law.
Wicoff the daughter of Iolans Joel and Lisa Wicoff.
