K-State Rise Up student scholar program expands, supporting more students in leadership and career success development
Friday, Nov. 1, 2024
The Rise Up Scholars Program now includes 94 students from the College of Business Administration and the College of Arts and Sciences at Kansas State University. Through the program, students develop leadership and career success skills. Pictured above are new Rise Up Scholars. | Download this photo.
MANHATTAN — More Kansas State University students now have the opportunity to develop their leadership and career success skills through the Rise Up Scholars Program, which has been expanded to include 94 students from two colleges.
The program originated in the College of Business Administration and is directed by Olivia Law-DelRosso, assistant dean and instructor in the business college. It will now include students from the College of Arts and Sciences, led by Kimathi Choma, assistant dean.
The Rise Up Scholars Program is designed for goal-oriented and inclusion-driven future leaders. The program uses a system modeled after business performance reviews to coach scholars to achieve their goals through personalized success coaching, accountability measures, corporate trips, mentorship and inclusive leadership training.
"I am thrilled with the growth of Rise Up," said Law Del-Rosso. "It shows the dedication of K-State students to achieving their goals and gaining inclusive leadership skills. These students are future business leaders who will have a positive impact on their industry and community. We are grateful to K-State alumni and corporate sponsors who enable us to provide these valuable opportunities."
Rise Up Scholars have access to exclusive coaching seminars throughout the program on topics such as professional communication, organizational culture, and resilience. In their freshman year, scholars work with peer mentors who introduce campus resources, teach habits of successful college students and foster accountability for class performance. Scholars learn tools to excel academically, gain exposure to career possibilities and begin networking with Rise Up Partners.
During their sophomore year, scholars complete a "mini" internship, which provides them with exposure to career experience and prepares them to be outstanding internship candidates as juniors. The students work with an executive mentor to develop and work toward career goals. They also travel outside of Manhattan to tour businesses, honing their professional skills and expanding their career horizons.
For the final two years of the program, scholars collaborate with career coaches to set goals, participate in mock interviews, revise their resumes, and strategically prepare for applying to internships and jobs. As seniors, they undertake a yearlong project focused on making an impact in an area they are passionate about. Current projects include initiatives to support middle school students who desire to be the first in their families to attend college, to provide resources for underrepresented students in finance, and to raise autism awareness.
With these tools, 100% of fully engaged scholars in the program have secured internships and full-time job offers within three months of graduation, Law-DelRosso said.
Last summer, scholars interned or began full-time careers at Barkley, Boys and Girls Club of America, ConocoPhillips, Deloitte, Dairy Farmers of America, Edward Jones, EY, Hormel Foods, Imperial PFS, K-State NIL, Athletics, Koch, KPMG, PWC, Spring Venture Group and the U.S. Army.
"In Rise Up, our motto is that 'we strive for the highest possible good for ourselves and each other,'" said Law Del-Rosso. "This grounds us in several ways: to commit and follow through on our promises and goals, to take care of our well-being, and to cheer on and support our peers in achieving their aspirations. All students have a unique journey with ups and downs. Rise Up Scholars celebrate the successes and cheer each other on to push through when it gets tough."
The newest Rise Up Scholars include:
Jacqueline Castro, junior in accounting, Dodge City; Irving Carrera, junior transfer student in accounting, Wilfredo Escobar-Camacho, junior in accounting, and Nallely Hinojos, senior in entrepreneurship, all from Garden City; Valeria Almanza-Chavez, junior in management, Goodland; Mikynzie Jaidyn Tatro, freshman in chemistry, Junction City; Victoria Netherland, sophomore in marketing, Kansas City; Fertayjia Kendrex-Reed, freshman in biology, Lawrence; Yamileth Choate, sophomore in marketing, Maize.
From Manhattan: Nicholas Alexander Gomez, junior in accounting; Laly Hernandez, sophomore in management information systems; Gregory Pickrom, freshman in human resources; Lee Rhyan, senior in accounting; McKayla Clark Snodgrass, freshman in biology; and Maria Velazco, sophomore in communication studies.
Isys Haynes, freshman in theater, and Trenton Rogers, sophomore in accounting, both from Olathe.
From out of state: Kyndal Jackson, freshman in psychology, Kansas City, Missouri; Joy Williams, freshman in psychology, and Mariah Wilkes, freshman in biology, both from St. Louis, Missouri; Yanis Patel, freshman in management, Lewistown, Pennsylvania; and Braulio Escalona, sophomore in finance, Fort Worth, Texas.
From out of the country: Kartikya Yadav, sophomore in biology, Janakpur, Nepal; and Moussa Gacko, freshman in biology, Dakar, Senegal.
For more information about the program, visit the Rise Up Scholars Program website. The next application window is May 2025-September 2025.
