| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE NEWS RELEASE |
| Contact: Kelly Snedden Phone: 316.323.6085 Email: [email protected] Date: May 14, 2026 Written By: Joe Wescott |
| Butler’s Early College Academy Celebrates 2026 Graduates125 students honored for completing college-level studies during high schoolEl Dorado, KAN. (May 14, 2026) – Butler Community College honored 125 students during the Early College Academy (ECA) graduation celebration on Saturday, May 9, recognizing graduates who completed college-level coursework while still in high school. The ECA offers high school students a head start in their academic and career journeys through a variety of pathway and certificate options. Students spend part of their day at their respective high schools and the remainder on a Butler campus, including El Dorado, Andover or Rose Hill, depending on their chosen pathway. Professor of Biology Melissa Elliott delivered faculty remarks during the ceremony, encouraging graduates to embrace their individuality and perseverance. “Each of you faced challenges that tested your resolve. Each of you had moments that tested your ability,” Elliott said. “You didn’t come this far to remain comfortable. The world does not need you to be smaller, it needs you to be exactly as you are.” Jonas Petrusevicius of Wichita, Jenna Moore of Towanda and Remynton Fowler of Derby each spoke about their time in the ECA, detailing how their studies, teachers and peers shaped their experience.Dr. Caroline Beach, Butler’s director of high school programs, said the celebration recognized the determination and commitment students demonstrated throughout the program. “We recognize the dedication, courage, and commitment of our Early College Academy graduates,” Beach said. “These students took on the challenge of college-level coursework while still in high school and showed remarkable maturity, determination, and drive along the way. We are incredibly proud of each of them and excited to celebrate this milestone together.” To view the photo album, visit https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjCTFMe.2026 Early College Academy graduation candidates listed by hometown, along with high school and major: Andover Hannah Collinsworth – Andover Central High School – Liberal Arts Lucy Geier – Andover Central High School – Pre-Nursing Sydney Mayginnes – Andover Central High School – Liberal Arts Rylee Palacio – Andover High School – Liberal Arts Brooklynn Rodarte – Andover eCademy – Pre-Nursing Megan Smart – Andover Central High School – Liberal Arts Hannah Smay – Andover eCademy – Pre-Nursing Carson Tasker – Andover High School – Software Development Allana Wentworth – Andover Central High School – Liberal Arts Augusta Hunter Athy-Sedbrook – Augusta High School – Liberal Arts Nathan Ebenkamp – Augusta High School – Engineering Studies Maci Edwards – Augusta High School – Engineering Studies Caden Gilbert – Augusta High School – Diesel Technology Rylee McClanahan – Augusta High School – Liberal Arts Paxton Nelson – Augusta High School – Engineering Studies Corbin Shillinger – Augusta High School – Liberal Arts Kirsten “Ace” Sims – Augusta High School – Business Studies Heidi Skaer – Augusta High School – Liberal Arts Michael Smithwick – Circle High School – Business Studies Jase Thomas – Augusta High School – Health Science/Pre-Med Caleb Warren – Augusta High School – Liberal Arts Benton Zachary Berry – Circle High School – Agriculture Madeleine Meier – Home School – Business Studies Cassoday Ataya Nesser – Flinthills High School – Game and Simulation Development Derby Ayanna Basu – Derby High School – Business Studies Michaela Blankenship – Derby High School – Liberal Arts Lauren Brown – Derby High School – Education Mason Campbell – Rose Hill High School – Pre-Health Zoie Christiansen – Derby High School – Education Hayden Clark – Derby High School – Liberal Arts Ella Davidson – Derby High School – Liberal Arts Faith Davy – Derby High School – Pre-Nursing Brooke Downs – Derby High School – Pre-Nursing Remyngton Fowler – Derby High School – Pre-Health Camryn Gonzalez – Derby High School – Pre-Nursing Hunter Heckart – Mulvane High School – Pre-Nursing Alixzandria Henard – Derby High School – Liberal Arts Leven Jones – Rose Hill High School – Pre-Nursing Isabel Kippenberger – Derby High School – Pre-Nursing Kelsey Loomis – Andover eCademy – Pre-Health Paris Phillips – Derby High School – Liberal Arts Scarlett Powell – Derby High School – Liberal Arts Madison Quade – Derby High School – Education Andrea Reyes-Garcia – Derby High School – Liberal Arts Abigail Shiblom – Derby High School – Liberal Arts Ashlyn Snead – Derby High School – Liberal Arts Ashlyn Stout – Andover eCademy – Liberal Arts Chloe Stuhlsatz – Derby High School – Liberal Arts Peyton Tatum – Mulvane High School – Liberal Arts Dane Torneden – Derby High School – Liberal Arts Douglass Colton Bailey – Rose Hill High School – Welding Technology Addison (Addie) Ford – Augusta High School – Liberal Arts Kinley Schouten – Douglass High School – Education Graeson Walter – Douglass High School – Business Studies Elijah Wasson – Douglass High School – Education Hailey Zoucha – Douglass High School – Pre-Nursing El Dorado Lily Hamel – Circle High School – Business Studies Hailey Keeton – Augusta High School – Pre-Nursing Cash Killian – Circle High School – Pre-Health Science Thomas McLendon – Circle High School – Engineering Studies Kolton Parish – Circle High School – Business Studies Garden Plain Aaron Weber – Garden Plain High School – Softward Development Briannah Weber – Garden Plain High School – Liberal Arts Haysville Ella Gardner – Derby High School – Liberal Arts Mulvane Caleb Boor – Mulvane High School – Pre-Nursing Grace Carpenter – Mulvane High School – Liberal Arts Braxton Frazier – Rose Hill High School – Liberal Arts Blake Grieve – Mulvane High School – Engineering Studies Teagan Heersche – Mulvane High School – Pre-Nursing Ellyana Irvine – Mulvane High School – Pre-Nursing Jacyndah Jennings – Mulvane High School – Pre-Health Erica Rico – Mulvane High School – Liberal Arts Kylie Schwanke – Mulvane High School – Pre-Nursing McKenzie Storment – Mulvane High School – Liberal Arts Sadie Williams – Mulvane High School – Liberal Arts Park City Arianna Hutfles – Home School – Pre-Nursing Rose Hill Abigail Gwaltney – Rose Hill High School – Pre-Nursing Natalie Hernandez-Rodela – Rose Hill High School – Pre-Health Teegan Hobson – Rose Hill High School – Business Studies Addison Hommertzeim – Rose Hill High School – Liberal Arts Natalie Koehn – Rose Hill High School – Pre-Nursing Kolbie McEwen – Rose Hill High School – Education Ethan Racchini – Rose Hill High School – Welding Technology Rylan Ramsey – Rose Hill High School – Pre-Health Avery Sims – Andover Central High School – Pre-Nursing Matthew Weber – Rose Hill High School – Liberal Arts Towanda Lennon Farner – Circle High School – Pre-Nursing Leah Moore – Circle High School – Engineering Studies Jenna Moore – Circle High School – Liberal Arts online Vance Wheeler – Circle High School – Welding Technology Udall Josie Palmer – Rose Hill High School – Pre-Nursing Valley Center Kennedy Crain – Valley Center High School – Health Science/Pre-Med Whitewater Keeson Entz – Remington High School – Education Wichita Laylah Allen – Derby High School – Liberal Arts Blaire Allen – Derby High School – Education Berkley Beims – Andover Central High School – Liberal Arts Zachary Bland – Derby High School – Liberal Arts Cameron Boyer – Derby High School – Pre-Nursing Lily Clendenin – Home School – Culinary AvaLea Cox – Belle Plaine High School – Pre-Nursing Kendall Dame – Andover Central High School – Liberal Arts Kelly Dark – Andover High School – Business Studies Rylee Emmons – Andover High School – Liberal Arts Paul Evans – Andover High School – Business Studies Paige Gawith – Andover Central High School – Liberal Arts Gavin Gomez – Augusta High School – Diesel Technology Reese Gunnarson – Rose Hill High School – Pre-Nursing Terrian Hallowell – Derby High School – Pre-Health Sammi Hanning – Rose Hill High School – Business Studies Jayden Hoang – Northeast Magnet High School – Engineering Studies Mia Jaramillo – Andover High School – Liberal Arts Emily Kauffman – Kapaun Mt. Carmel Catholic High School – Liberal Arts Aiden Kirchert – Home School – Engineering Studies Brooklyn Knox – Derby High School – Pre-Health Ethan Kramer – Andover Central High School – Engineering Studies Ava Lofgreen – Andover Central High School – Liberal Arts Rianna Madhu – Andover Central High School – Pre-Health MyTam Nguyen – Andover High School – Pre-Health Jonas Petrusevicius – Derby High School – Business Studies Ryann Poe – Eisenhower High School – Liberal Arts Ezra Sayavongsa – Wichita Southeast High School – Culinary Jaslene Sot – Wichita Southeast High School – Culinary Tam Stephens – Life Prep Academy – Liberal Arts Mattie Webb – Derby High School – Education Lila Wheeler – Rose Hill High School – Pre-Nursing -30-About Butler Community College: Butler Community College, Kansas’ only Adobe Creative Campus and a recognized Top Community College by Education Insider, offers more than 85 degree programs and 30 professional certification programs in person and online. The main campus is in El Dorado, Kansas, with several other campuses throughout Butler County and beyond. Visit www.butlercc.edu to learn more. Photo: 125 students were honored on May 9, 2026, for completing college-level studies during high school. (Rodney Dimick) |
