Meet the Scholars 2020-21
Kelli Arnold was born and raised in Hays, KS, home of FHSU! She is an organizational leadership major who hopes to, one day, work in a non-profit that serves survivors of domestic violence. Kelli joined the VALUE program to gain some “real-world” experience, and make strong connections with people in the community. She hopes her experience will help her create something that is bigger than herself. Kelli is a member of the Collegiate 4-H office team at FHSU, and works as a Tiger Call on-campus. She also holds a part-time job at Chinese Food Express, so say “Hi!” the next time you order take-out! In her free time, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, especially at the lake. You’ll often find her reading her favorite books to pass the time, or taking summer trips to check the many destinations off her bucket list.
Jeanae Brungardt comes to FHSU from Ellsworth, KS, and is an organizational leadership major. She joined the VALUE program as an opportunity for great personal and professional growth. Throughout the coming year, she is looking forward to create positive change in the on-campus or Hays community. Although she isn’t entirely sure what she wants to do upon graduate, she hopes to enter a career through which she serves and helps people. Jeanae is active on the FHSU campus, as she is a student employee in Leadership Programs, a VIP Student Ambassador, and a member the Catholic Disciples student organization. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, and spending time with her family, friends, and dog.
Sally Dinkel is an organizational leadership major from Garden City, KS. She joined the VALUE program to advance her understanding in leadership and prepare for graduate school, as she hopes to earn her Master’s in Social Work and become a social worker upon her graduation. Sally works in the Academic Advising and Career Exploration Center at FHSU, and with the Holy Family Elementary After School Care Program. In her free time, she enjoys going to the lake with her family, and hanging out with her friends. Her current TV binge is “New Girl,” on Netflix!
Meleny Jacome-Banuelos is from Johnson City, KS and is majoring in organizational leadership with a minor in music. She joined the VALUE program to challenge herself, and do something different with the knowledge and skills she has gained, so far, in the organizational leadership program. She hopes to, one day, start her own non-profit organization, and her involvement in FHSU has put her in a good position to do so. Meleny is currently the president of Circle K International, a student organization focused on service. In addition, she is a member of the FHSU marching band, Symphonic Winds, Wind Ensemble, Clarinet Choir, and Hays Symphony Orchestra. In her spare time, she enjoys going on nature walks, spending time with her friends and family, reading for fun, and listening to Rachmaninoff’s piano concertos.
Abby Kennemer was born and raised in Hays, KS. She is an organizational leadership major, with a minor in psychology. Abby joined VALUE to get a better idea of what she wants to do after she graduates from college, and to get more leadership experiences. She is leaning toward the field of student affairs in higher education as a future career path. She is involved in many FHSU bands, and is currently the trumpet section leader for the marching band. In her free time, she enjoys playing and watching all the sports, especially soccer, basketball, and tennis. A fun fact about Abby…she is left-handed!