Wichita State University’s W. Frank Barton School of Business has awarded the 2026 Professor Fran Jabara Endowed Scholarship to two Wichita-area students: Adeline Lank from Kapaun Mount Carmel Catholic High School and Gabriel Shaffer from Valley Center High School. Each will receive $36,400 spread over four years to attend WSU and study entrepreneurship.
The Jabara Scholarship is one of the largest of its kind nationally for entrepreneurs. To qualify, students have to complete essay questions about the importance of education in entrepreneurship and ideas that they find intellectually interesting as well as score at least a 27 on their ACT, 1260 on their SAT or achieve a 3.5 high school GPA. The selection process culminated in the AGH Scholarship Competition, when they were interviewed by a panel of judges.
“During the scholarship interview process, applicants were presented with a startup scenario and asked to discuss how they would navigate challenges related to growth,” said Chris Broberg, interim director of the Center for Entrepreneurship. “Adeline stood out for her mature business thinking and practical problem-solving approach. The judges appreciated her ability to think ahead about real operational challenges while maintaining a strong commitment to product quality. The judges were impressed by how Gabe connected his ideas to real action in his own life. He shared specific examples of motivating classmates to join leadership organizations, participate in drug awareness initiatives, and become more engaged in academic activities.”