27 March 2024
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — WSU Tech is handing out money and creating special moments for families as it welcomes new students. On Wednesday, it held signing day celebrations.
Like high school athletes being recognized when they sign up for college, WSU Tech celebrates its students who sign a letter of intent.
“We want to honor students’ choice to pursue a career in technical education the same way that they get honored to pursue like an athletic career,” Mandy Fouse, WSU Tech director of public relations, said. “We do the whole thing. We’ve got the hats. We’ve got the signature. We’ve got the press conference … We’ve got the big check. We’ve got moms and dads here. Everyone is just really pumped to get these students the $1,000 scholarship and also get them into school this year.”
Joseph Eggers signed up on Wednesday. He is studying industrial machine maintenance.
“I’m excited, and I’m really grateful that they’re offering it,” he said.
Another student, Levi, signed up for aviation maintenance.
“We had this advertisement at my high school, and I read through all the courses, and this one fascinated me the most,” he said. “Also, I looked for some jobs in this field, and they pay like 20 to 30 bucks just starting off.”
WSU Tech’s signing day events on Wednesday were at its National Center for Aviation Training and South campuses. It will hold another celebration on Thursday at its City Center campus.
Last year, the school awarded 150 scholarships. This year, more than 260 students said they would take part in the signing day events.
“It’s changing lives. It’s building our workforce, and that’s really the reason,” Fouse said.