Honoring Kansas' Business Legacy, Inspiring Tomorrow’s Leaders

Kansas Business Hall of Fame

Eligibility


Purpose


Benjamin Soyka

Recognition


make a difference

Lucy Krebsbach, Freshman, Home School (Meriden), on Charles Walker

Aubryn Garriott

Winners receive cash prizes sponsored by the Kansas Chamber of Commerce, with up to $2,000 distributed annually. In addition to monetary awards, winning essays are recognized at the Kansas Business Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, where students have the chance to share their achievements with business leaders, educators, and the public.

Addilyn Bruns

Essay Contest Overview



The Kansas Business Hall of Fame Student Essay Contest aims to inspire the next generation of business leaders by encouraging Kansas high school students to explore and learn from the state’s rich history of entrepreneurship and business innovation. This contest offers students the opportunity to engage with the legacies of Kansas' most influential business figures, deepening their understanding of leadership, resilience, and economic impact.

Addilyn Bruns, Freshman, Home School (Topeka), on Arthur Capper.

The contest is open to all high school students in grades 9-12 across Kansas, including home-schooled students. Each participant is encouraged to choose one KBHF inductee and write a 500-1,000 word essay that reflects the inductee’s impact on Kansas’ economic growth and the lessons that can be learned from their journey.

The contest is designed to honor outstanding Kansas business leaders by having students research an inductee of the Kansas Business Hall of Fame. Through this experience, participants gain valuable insights into how determination, creativity, and strategic thinking have shaped the business landscape of Kansas.

Benjamin Soyka, Senior, Leavenworth High School, on Warren Augustine Bechtel.

our 2024 kansas hall of fame student Essay Winners

Kansas Business Hall of Fame Student Essay Contest

Lucy Krebsbach

Aubryn Garriott, Senior, Olpe High School, on Bill Kurtis

2024




2023


  • Molly Brown, senior from Hayden Catholic High School, inductee Olive Ann Beech
  • Alexandrea Howell, freshman from Leavenworth High School, inductee Fred Harvey
  • Braden Polifka, senior from Quinter High School, inductee Junius George Groves
  • Quinten Schafer, junior from Blue Valley North High School, inductee William H. Graves


​2022


  • Sriram Srinivasa Kalki, freshman from Blue Valley North High School, inductee Philip Anschutz           
  • Caroline Place, freshman from Blue Valley North High School, inductee Junius George Groves
  • Baylee Richard, senior from Olpe High School, inductee Olive Ann Beech
  • William White Walker, freshman from Emporia High School, inductee William Allen White


2021


​Top three winners:

  • Brianna Barrett, freshman from Emporia High School, inductee Olive Ann Beech
  • Elizabeth Place, sophomore from Blue Valley North High School, inductee Harry Darby
  • Brooklyn Farmer, sophomore from Wellington High School, inductee William Allen White

Top winners from each grade:

  • Edward Mu, freshman from Blue Valley North High School, inductee W. Frank Barton
  • Lenia Crouch, sophomore from Emporia High School, inductee Georgia Neese Gray
  • Makaila Karmann, junior from Emporia High School, inductee Olive Ann Beech
  • Maya Bishop, senior from Olpe High School, inductee Olive Ann Beech


2020


Top three winners:

  • Shea Inlow, sophomore from Sedgwick High School, inductee Fred Harvey
  • Emma Elder, senior from Nemaha Central High School, inductees Dan and Frank Carney
  • Taylon Ellis, freshman from Wellington High School, inductee William Coleman

Top winners from each grade:

  • Madison Paradise, freshman from Sedgwick High School, inductee Fred Harvey
  • Faith Finley, sophomore from Emporia High School, inductees Dan and Frank Carney
  • Sydnee Hammond, junior from Emporia High School, inductee Bill Kurtis
  • Jill Carlson, senior from Lansing High School, inductee Walter Anderson


2019


Top three winners:

  • Jordin Mackenzie, freshman from Blue Valley North High School, inductee Gary Burrell
  • Melvin Le, sophomore from Liberal High School, inductees Clara & Russell Stover
  • Jael Catlett, freshman from Wellington, inductee Clyde Cessna


Top winners from each grade:

  • Hannah Henderson,  freshman from Emporia High School, inductee Walter Chrysler
  • Cheyla Carvantes, sophomore from Emporia High School, inductee Frederick Henry Harvey
  • Kaitlyn Sperka, junior from Emporia High School, inductee Olive Ann Beech
  • Codi Kentner, senior from Quinter High School, inductee Georgia Neese Gray


2018


Top three winners:

  • Rebekah Kitch, senior from Quinter High School, inductee Jack Goldstein
  • Haylee Weiss, junior from Emporia High School, inductee Olive Beech
  • Trudy Martens, sophomore from South Gray High School, inductee Walter Chrysler

Top winners from each grade:

  • Melvin Le, freshman from Liberal High School, inductee William Allen White
  • Ian Hayden, sophomore from Emporia High School, inductee William Lear
  • Nicholas Cammarn, junior from Emporia High School, inductee Philip Anschutz
  • Isaac McBroom, senior from Emporia High School, inductee Gary Burrell


2017


Top three winners:

  • Mary Stanley, sophomore from Emporia High School, inductee Olive Ann Beech
  • Karla Flores, freshman from Emporia High School, inductee Olive Ann Beech
  • Eric Poersch, junior from Emporia High School, inductee Arthur Capper

Top winners from each grade:

  • Hannah Cooper, freshman from Emporia High School, inductee Joseph McCoy
  • Connor Cheek, sophomore from Emporia High School, inductees Walter Anderson and Edgar Waldo
  • Jessica Rodriguez, junior from Emporia High School, inductees Dan and Frank Carney
  • Tiarah Holt, senior from Emporia High School, inductee William Allen White

legacy of kansas Hall of Fame student Essay Winners