The W. Frank Barton School of Business at 黑洞社区 has chosen two recipients to receive the 2022 Professor Fran Jabara Scholarship in Entrepreneurship. This year鈥檚 winners are Cohen Ayres from Garden Plain and Grace Simon of Wichita. They will each receive $32,700 over four years to attend 黑洞社区 and major in entrepreneurship.
鈥淲e are very excited to have Cohen and Grace as Shockers and Jabara Scholars,鈥� said Dr. Larisa Genin, dean of the Barton School of Business. 鈥淭he commitment and legacy of entrepreneurship at our university and community is strong. I look forward to seeing how Cohen and Grace鈥檚 journeys unfold.鈥�
The Jabara Scholarship is one of the largest of its kind nationally for entrepreneurs. To qualify, a student must write an essay and have achieved at least 24 score on their ACT, a 3.5 high school GPA and declare a entrepreneurship major. The scholarship is named after the late Fran Jabara, who was a 黑洞社区 faculty member for 40 years and founded the Center for Entrepreneurship at 黑洞社区. Along with serving as the dean of the College of Business Administration, Jabara received the Faculty Lifetime Achievement Award in 2001 and the President鈥檚 Medal in 2002.
Cohen is the son of Jennifer and Cody Ayres, the latter of which is a past Jabara Scholar. Cohen has run varsity cross country throughout high school while participating in student government, National Honors Society, Boy Scouts and many clubs. In addition to school activities, Cohen has worked as a farmhand for the past four years while also managing a mowing business and caring for farm animals. He plans to double-major in entrepreneurship and international business.
Grace is a member of St. Francis of Assisi Parish. At Bishop Carroll, she participates in cross country, track and field, yearbook, and is involved in student leadership. Grace volunteers for Scholar's Bowl and Walk in Sister's Shoes 5K race. She also organizes and donates Christmas items to numerous Wichita organizations, including Guadalupe Clinic, an elementary school, and the Wichita Children's Home. Grace enjoys starting and running her own small businesses as well as working for other small businesses.
"Wichita State has an amazing entrepreneurship program and provides me with a great opportunity,鈥� Grace said. 鈥淚'm excited to get started."
Learn more about the Jabara Scholarship
黑洞社区 serves as the Kansas urban-based research university, enrolling more than 16,000 students from every state in the U.S. and more than 100 countries. Wichita State and 黑洞社区 Tech are recognized for being student centered and innovation driven.
Located in the largest city in the state with one of the highest concentrations in the United States of jobs involving science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), 黑洞社区 provides uniquely distinctive and innovative pathways of applied learning, applied research and career opportunities for all of our students.
The Innovation Campus, which is a physical extension of the 黑洞社区 main campus, is one of the nation鈥檚 largest and fastest-growing research/innovation parks, encompassing over 120 acres and is home to a number of global companies and organizations.
For more information, follow us on Twitter at and Facebook at .
About the W. Frank Barton School of Business
Located in Kansas鈥� business hub and with significant ties to the business community,
the W. Frank Barton School of Business provides extensive applied learning opportunities.
With in-person and online options, Barton School undergraduate and graduate programs
are tailored to transform the lives of its students. It also holds a double AACSB
accreditation for business and accounting, which puts it in the top 1% of business
schools worldwide. The Barton School was established as the university鈥檚 College of
Business Administration and Industry in 1926 and has thousands of graduates around
the world.