Shawnee Mission North Star Award Recipients Announced

Sebastian Garcia
Shawnee Mission School District

Sebastian Garcia and Katie Kasunic were recently honored as this year’s North Star Award recipients at SM North.

The North Star Award honors one male and female Shawnee Mission North student, chosen by the school's faculty, administration and staff, based on their academic excellence, leadership, school and community involvement, teamwork, and respect for others. The honorees receive a $2,000 scholarship

Kasunic and Garcia both made important contributions to SM North. They are outstanding role models in leadership and community involvement for their peers shared Jeremy Higgins, SM North principal.

“Katie is the epitome of what you want a North student to be; she has achieved remarkable success as both a student and an athlete,” Higgins said.  “She has been on the honor roll throughout her high school career, has been a state champion, and is a school record holder.”

“You won’t find a kid with a better attitude, personality, or more infectious smile than Sebastian,” David Ewers, associate principal said. “He is the consummate service-leader, whatever is needed Sebastian is always there to answer the call.

Steve Sears, SM North graduate, created the scholarship through the Shawnee Mission Education Foundation.

"For me, having the good fortune to grow up in the Shawnee Mission School District, and particularly to attend North high school, was like winning the educational lottery. The caliber of my classmates, teachers and extra-curricular opportunities was second-to-none. This scholarship program is a simple way to give back to an institution that did a lot for me, and I hope it encourages current and future students to take advantage of all that North has to offer."

Katie Kasunic