PTKAW Awards Named After LCC Alums

Washburn, University- Labette Community College alumnae, twins Sierra and Taylor Kemp, have been given the distinction of having a Phi Theta Kappa Alumni of Washburn University (PTKAW) award named after them, according to a release from Washburn University. The university has established four new awards for their PTK Alumni members for the 2017-18 school year. 

The first award, the Outstanding PTK Alumni award, which was named after one of PTKAW’s Founding Members and recent graduates, Ebony White bba ’17.

The Newcomer of the Year Award recognizes the dedication and generosity of a student who is in their first year in PTKAW, who has taken a leadership role within the chapter, going above and beyond the essentials of membership. The third award, the Most Inspirational Award, will recognize a PTKAW member who rises above the daily grind of college and remains committed, ready to help, and strives to make a difference: someone who others should aspire to be in terms of work ethic, level of enthusiasm, and commitment to PTK and Washburn.

The final new award is the Kemp Scholar Athlete Award. This award will recognize a PTKAW member who demonstrates initiative in PTKAW and continued dedication to the PTK Hallmarks while managing athletic schedules, providing the example of a true student athlete. The award is named after twins Sierra Kemp ba ’16 and Taylor Kemp ba ’17, alumnae of the Tau Theta Chapter at Labette Community College who lettered on the softball team at Labette and Washburn. Both garnered all-conference and All-American nominations at multiple positions, and were selected as Academic All-Conference and All-Americans each year at Washburn. They were among the first student-athletes to join PTKAW in 2015. After missing the 2016 season with injury, Taylor redshirted and served as PTKAW’s Vice President for Digital Media for the 2016-17 school year. Both completed a bachelor of arts in Exercise Physiology, Sierra moving to graduate school at Southwest Baptist University, and Taylor moving to the Occupational Therapy program at University of Kansas Medical Center.

Taylor earned an Associate in General Studies from LCC in 2014, while Sierra graduated in 2014 with Associate in Science in Business Administration degree. The Kemps were both part of the LCC Softball team under the direction of Head Coach Ryan Phillips during their time at LCC.