JP’s Scholarship Recipients

JP’s Scholarship Recipients Announced

Sept. 9, 2020 — The Department of Housing and Dining Services has announced the recipients of the 2020-2021 JP’s Scholarship. Each student will be awarded $500 for the fall semester and $500 for the spring semester to to offset academic expenses.

The recipients are: Jon Greenlee, senior in organizational management and human resource management with a leadership minor; Mackenzie Giefer, junior in criminology with an emphasis on American ethics; Anna Dold, senior in honors biology and gerontology with a minor in entomology; and Ty Ratzlaff, senior in English literature.

Jon Greenlee, Wichita, is a first-generation college student. He is a bartender at Union Station by JP’s Gastropub.

"Managing has always been something that I found joy in, and providing the means to make a restaurant's staff and patrons happier with good food and a welcoming atmosphere feels like the best way that I can give back to the world,” Greenlee said.

Mackenzie Giefer, Topeka, is a third-generation Wildcat. After completing her bachelor's studies, it's her intent to complete her master's degree at Kansas State University as well. Giefer is a server and barista at JP’s Sports Grill.

"There is so much uncertainty currently in this world, and it appears that many are driven by a lack of a moral compass, ethics, integrity and purpose, whereas I stay true to my convictions and make every effort to choose right from wrong,” Giefer said.

Anna Dold, Wichita, recently applied to medical schools and has the intention of becoming a doctor of medicine or doctor of osteopathy in her future. Dold is a student supervisor at JP’s Sports Grill.

"My education at Kansas State University has focused mainly on science and medicine, but there has also been an emphasis on the personal connections that make an effective healthcare professional," Dold said. "I am passionate about serving others and helping them, and I want to instill this passion in my future career in medicine.”

Ty Ratzlaff, Paola, is a line cook at JP’s Sports Grill.

"Adventuring into worlds accessible only through text and absorbing the well-written prose of authors has moved me past my previous viewpoints of college being a business decision, but even the freest-spirited of us is still a player in the economic game," Ratzlaff said. "Working builds an understanding of what a dollar is truly worth, and I personally believe working in college has made me appreciate the education I receive, which is just as valuable as the money a job pays."

With its student-oriented mission, JP’s supports students in their academic pursuits while developing their professional skills in the workplace. JP’s would like to thank its loyal patrons for their generous contributions to the scholarship fund. The scholarship — in addition to the two JP's restaurants on campus — is named in honor of John Pence, a 56-year veteran of the department and respected leader of its dining services.