HAYS, Kan. – Six students and an instructor from Fort Hays State University were honored at the 60th annual Kansas Speech-Language-Hearing Association conference in Topeka.

Six students received Margaret Byrne Sarricks Scholarships: Lauren Oldham, a Dodge City (67801) graduate student; Janae Powell, a Bucklin (67834) graduate student; Mollie Reves, an Olathe (66062) graduate student; Amy Schneider, an Olathe (66061) graduate student; and Tanner Staab, a Hays (67601) graduate student.

Reves also received the Dixie Heinrich Servant Leadership Award.

“I am proud and honored yet incredibly humbled to have been recognized through this scholarship,” said Reves. “This is not taken lightly and is something I am very grateful to have received. Leadership has always been a quality that has been important to me and I continue to work to actively improve my skills in this area.”

Tara Marshall, instructor of communication science and disorders, received the Honors of the Association Award, the highest honor awarded by the KSHA to an audiologist or speech-language pathologist who has contributed significantly to KSHA and demonstrated outstanding leadership in the profession.

“I’m humbled and honored to receive this award,” said Marshall. “Being able to serve others is a large part of why I chose this profession and I feel so fortunate to be part of Fort Hays State that supports and encourages service.”

Thirty-three undergraduate and graduate students and nine faculty members attended. Fort Hays State hosted a planning committee chaired by Marshall and Breanna Taylor, program specialist in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders.

“It was a great experience co-chairing at the KSHA conference. It was so humbling to see the hard work and dedication of FHSU faculty and students in planning for the conference,” said Taylor. “Watching the conference come to life due to the collaboration of speech-language pathologists and audiologists all over Kansas was truly a pleasure.”

“This was my first time going to KSHA, and I am still processing all the information learned,” said Alexis Werner, a Hays (67601) graduate student in the CSD Department. “I am beyond thankful for the opportunity to be involved in a program that is so dedicated to helping others, advocating, and so much more. It was really awesome to see all that unfold at the annual conference.”

KSHAs Mission Statement: KSHA provides innovative professional development, advocacy, leadership, and networking for current and future speech-language and hearing professionals to enhance service delivery for those with communicated and related disorders.