11.21.24

Shocker Pride scholarship helps make education attainable

Wichita native Bailey Wise always knew she wanted to work with kids. After exploring different professions, she discovered a field in child development.

“The first time I shadowed a speech pathologist, I knew I wanted to do it for the rest of my life,” she said.

She decided to major in communication sciences and disorders and psychology at Wichita State. However, Wise quickly realized tuition would be the greatest obstacle in pursuing her education. Despite working as a paraeducator to earn money and gain first-hand experience helping kids, she knew this income wouldn’t cover all her expenses, and began seeking out scholarships to help her afford college.

In 2024, she received the WSU Foundation and Alumni Engagement’s Shocker Pride Scholarship, funded through each purchase of a Shocker Pride license plate.

“This scholarship means I don’t have to worry about the smaller things,” said Wise. “I’ll pay for my books, and I’m not having to come up with that money. I’m not having to take out extra loans or dip into my savings to pay tuition.” She added, “It has made my life so much easier.”

The Shocker Pride Scholars program also provided Wise with an alumni mentor, Lauren Eichman ‘20, a therapist at ICT Therapy Works. Eichman has shared professional advice that prepares Wise for life after college.

“She was in my shoes before so learning from her experience has been incredible,” said Wise.

Scholarship support helps students like Wise pursue higher education, giving them the confidence to achieve their goals without financial worry.

“I didn’t know if I’d be able to come to college because of the financial burden,” said Wise, “but receiving scholarship money made me realize I could do it.”

Wise will graduate in spring 2025 with her bachelor’s degree and plans to pursue a master’s in speech-language pathology. After, she hopes to work in a school setting to support children’s speech development. She is thankful to all the donors who have generously contributed to not only her academic journey but to other students as well.

“It’s much more than a scholarship,” she said. “We feel supported; we feel valued.”