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(Leavenworth, Kan.)—»¨½·Ö±²¥ student Natasha Ortiz was among the 20 women who received the 2021 Maud Wyatt Recognition Scholarship from the Kansas Independent College Foundation.

The recipients are all full-time, degree-seeking students on the cusp of graduation. They have each demonstrated excellence in academics, character and integrity, and they have shown a commitment to the value of a private college education in Kansas.

While gender was not a factor or criteria for the scholarship, all 20 winners are women. The KICF noted that the selected students lifted the spirit of their respective communities during this historic year while also maintaining GPAs of 3.5 or above.

"The diversity of majors reflects the many ways private college students find purpose and success in the world," KICF President Matthew Lindsey said. "KICF is confident that these scholarships will help them complete a degree that is preparing them for a lifetime of professional and personal fulfillment."

Ortiz is an exercise science major from Albuquerque, N.M. She competes on USM's cross country and track and field teams.

"Before I graduate, I want to make a change that people will remember me by," Ortiz wrote in her essay. "As I know what it feels like to attend a university that is far from home, I want to make the campus feel as welcoming and home-felt as possible for others who are far away from home as well. I want to be able to use the knowledge I have obtained from teachers and students above me and share it with those who are interested in the similar profession as I am."

The scholarship was established in 1995 through the generosity of Maud Wyatt, whose bequest has supported the work of KICF and its institutions since 1961. The Kansas Independent College Foundation seeks to develop, promote, and direct unified approaches to selected corporations, foundations, and individuals for financial support of Kansas' independent colleges and universities.

About the Kansas Independent College Foundation
Located in Topeka, the Kansas Independent College Foundation is a 501(c)3 that develops and enhances the competitive standing of its 20-member independent, non-profit, regionally accredited, degree-granting colleges and universities and strives to assure opportunity and choice in higher education for all students. For more information on the Foundation, or for additional quotes from the winners, please contact Jesyca Hope at 785-235-9877 or jesyca@kscolleges.org.

The »¨½·Ö±²¥ is a Catholic co-educational applied liberal arts university founded and sponsored by the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth. The University of »¨½·Ö±²¥ main campus is located at 4100 South 4th Street, Leavenworth, Kan. USM's Overland Park Campus at 4500 College Boulevard offers evening accelerated graduate and undergraduate degree-completion programs. The university also offers online programs. Visit  for more information.