New Hummel Scholars Program Opens New Doors for Aspiring Hawks

Through a new partnership with the Hummel Family Foundation, Rockhurst University is announcing an annual scholarship program and philanthropic gift plan that will become the largest program of its kind in University history.

Available to students in any undergraduate degree program, the Hummel Family Scholarship is designed to plug gaps in existing financial aid and give qualified full-time students the opportunity to finish their degree in cases where the costs of higher education might otherwise put that goal out of reach.

The new scholarship at Rockhurst is one of five established through the Hummel Family Foundation.  Dr. Robert C. Hummel, co-founded Animal Health International, one of the largest animal health distributors in the nation. He created the foundation in 2016 and, together with his family, has decided that it will benefit students at just five universities which are close to them and have impacted their lives. One of Hummel's sons, Robert C. Hummel II, a 1993 graduate of the MBA program at Rockhurst University’s Helzberg School of Management and a successful Kansas City area business leader, chose to benefit future generations of Rockhurst University students with one of the scholarships.

“The Hummel family has expressed a hope that that these scholarships will help students in need and provide a path to a better, more fulfilling life,” Robert C. Hummel II said.

Scholarships will be awarded annually based primarily on the individual applicants’ financial need in addition to other qualifications, including GPA requirements, an essay, and an evaluation of each applicant’s leadership and commitment to service in their community.

A total of $500,000 in scholarship funding was made available for the first year of the scholarship, resulting in 16 Hummel Family scholarships awarded so far to Rockhurst University students for the 2017-18 academic year.

“Rockhurst University is extremely proud to partner with the Hummel family on this scholarship,” said the Rev. Thomas B. Curran, S.J., president of Rockhurst University. “This unprecedented gift will give generations of future students access to the life-changing opportunities that can come with a degree from a Jesuit institution.”

One of those students, incoming freshman Caleb Lagemann of Blue Springs, said receiving one of the scholarships represents more than a boost — it will allow him to focus on excelling in class instead of worrying about tuition and expenses that come with higher education.

“When I first got the news that I received the Hummel Scholarship, I was very excited and also really surprised at the amount of the scholarship,” he said. “The Hummel Scholarship will help me tremendously when paying for college and I am really grateful to the Hummel family for making that possible for me.”

Find more information by visiting rockhurst.edu/hummelscholarship.