Scholarships helped student excel as undergrad

Blake had an experience of a lifetime at Washburn — and he's not done yet

Blake Porter

Blake Porter, bba ’16, was a campus leader during his undergrad years. His positive experience, along with scholarships, made Washburn the natural choice for his law studies.

Blake Porter, bba ’16, doesn’t like being bored. Thanks to scholarships funded by generous donors, the first-year law student was able to spend his free time as a Washburn School of Business student building an impressive resume.

Always on the lookout for something new, Blake sought out a fraternity and eventually became president of Kappa Sigma. That connection led him to Washburn Student Government Association, where he also served as president. Blake was a three-sport athlete in high school, and free time in college led him to seek a spot on the Washburn golf team and to start a bowling club. His academics earned him induction into the Alpha Lambda Delta and Mortar Board honor societies. He graduated magna cum laude.

Now that Blake is settling into his first year at Washburn University School of Law, no one will be surprised, once he adjusts to the demands of a law education, if he fills what little free time he has with extracurricular activities.

“I’m going to stick to my books the first year,” Blake said. “Most people agree that’s best. I’ll admit I didn’t do all the reading as an undergrad, but reading is nowhere close to optional in law school. I spend most of my time reading cases, and business school gave me a nice foundation with persuasive arguments and technical writing.”

Investing in tomorrow’s leaders

Blake has earned many scholarships, including the Jim and Kathy Maag Scholarship, given to School of Business students from Kansas. The scholarship was created to honor Jim, ba ’61, h ’04, when he retired as president of the Kansas Bankers Association.

“The scholarship was established thanks to the generosity of Kansas bankers who understand the challenges today’s students face in funding their college education,” Jim said. “It was a very special day when the scholarship was announced as a surprise at a banker association luncheon. We were honored to have President (Jerry) Farley and Washburn Endowment Association Chair Tim Etzel in attendance also. The bankers could not have presented a more meaningful gift.”

Now Jim and Kathy, bba ’64, have an endowed scholarship in their name that will live on forever. They contribute to the fund and other areas on campus each year, and a gift in their estate will increase the scholarship.

“It’s important for us to have something that will live on for future generations,” Kathy said. “We’re proud to support students like Blake, and we hope all students are able to get that kind of financial help so they can focus on academics and extracurricular activities,” Jim said. “We can’t think of a better way to do that than by providing funds in our estate.”

Blake is grateful for the opportunities scholarships provided

“Scholarship support is one of the bigger reasons I chose Washburn,” Blake said. “It’s eased the financial burden and allowed me to get really involved on campus. I didn’t have that constant financial worry in the back of my head. I would hope donors know how much students appreciate it, and how much of a difference it can make. The experience I had was big in my decision to stay here for law school.”

Help shape the future

Your support increases the affordability of a Washburn education to help students like Blake focus on getting the most out of their education. Visit mywashburnkit.org to save time, protect assets and avoid distress with a well-planned estate.

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