News Release: Holcomb High School Student Receives Scholarship from JAG-K

Holcomb High School senior Ashlynn Bradley was named recipient of the Jobs for America’s Graduates-Kansas (JAG-K) Senior Scholarship at the JAG-K Career Development Conference at the Wichita State University Eugene M. Hughes Metropolitan Complex on Wednesday.

“I am so proud of Ashlynn for all of her accomplishments, including being named the 2025 JAG-K Senior Scholar,” said JAG-K President and CEO Chuck Knapp. “She is a great example of the benefits of the program and what can happen when students leave their comfort zone and pursue opportunities.”

Kansas’ 114 JAG-K programs, which serve approximately 6,000 students in 48 school districts across the state, reported a graduation rate of 97 percent in the last reporting period. Many of JAG-K’s students attend college, overcoming barriers that might otherwise have kept them from succeeding in school.

The award was announced before more than 250 JAG-K students and staff gathered in Wichita for the annual JAG-K Career Development Conference, where Bradley was part of a team that claimed first place in the Project-Based Learning competition, qualifying them to compete at nationals.

Among her other achievements, Bradley has accumulated 163 hours of community service while in high school. She plans to make service a career. Bradley plans to attend Garden City Community College with the goal of going into pediatric nursing.

“I wouldn’t have been able to succeed without all the support of the people around me,” Bradley said. “So that’s the point of community service. To give back and to serve your community, to help others like they have helped you. I’ve always been taught the importance of taking care of others before you take care of yourself.”

This year, for the first time, JAG-K selected two winners of the organization’s Senior Scholarship. Bradley and Parsons High School senior Aubree Waun were selected from an application process that included an essay, resume, a speech, letters of recommendation, and work samples.

“Ashlynn has been in the Holcomb program for several years and has demonstrated excellence in the way she approached everything,” said Bev Mortimer, JAG-K Senior Vice President of Programming. “She has really taken advantage of of all the opportunities JAG-K makes available.”

Bradley has participated in the JAG-K program at Holcomb for three years and currently serves as the JAG-K Region 1 Secretary. She has qualified three times to compete in the JAG national competition in the Project-Based Learning category.

“Ashlynn has demonstrated exceptional leadership in JAG-K, inspiring her peers with her dedication and strong work ethic,” said Holcomb High School JAG-K Career Specialist Melinda Gerstberger. “Her commitment to Holcomb JAG-K and her personal and professional growth set her apart. There is no doubt she will be successful in her future, and I feel so blessed to have been a part of this journey with her!”

JAG-K is a multi-year, in-school program for students in grades 6-12 that offers tools to successfully transition students into post-secondary school, the military, or directly into the workforce with marketable skills. Participants in the program face multiple barriers to success that their JAG-K Career Specialist helps them overcome through a nationally-accredited, evidence-based model.

The 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization is a state affiliate of the national JAG program network which operates in 36 different states and territories. It is primarily funded through the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families block grant to the State of Kansas administered by the Kansas Department for Children and Families (DCF). In addition to school districts and DCF, JAG-K partners with the Kansas Department of Education. Other JAG-K funding sources include ADM, AT&T, Barton Community College, EagleU, Goldstein Charitable Trust, Independence Community College, the JB and Anne Hodgdon Foundation, Honeywell, John Deere, Johnson County Community College, the Kansas Chamber of Commerce, Kansas Gas Service, the Kansas Insurance Department, Magellan Financial, Mark One Electric, the Office of the Kansas State Bank Commissioner, United Way of Kaw Valley, United Way of the Plains, U.S. Bank, Walmart and Washburn Tech.

To learn more about JAG-K, visit www.jagkansas.org, or ‘Jobs for America’s Graduates-Kansas’ on Facebook, X and LinkedIn.