The Rudd Foundation is pleased to announce Corri Roberts is being promoted to lead the Rudd Scholars program in Kansas effective immediately, following the departure of Pete Najera. Corri has been with the Rudd portfolio of companies since 2012, and has played a significant role in the scholarship program since its inception.
The Rudd Scholars program was the vision of Leslie Rudd, who passed away in May 2018. Leslie valued his Kansas roots and wanted to “give back” to the people of Kansas for being instrumental in his development as an individual and entrepreneur. With that in mind, he founded the Rudd Foundation, with its primary focus being the Rudd Scholars program. The program provides selected Kansas high school students with the opportunity to attend college at either Wichita State University, Fort Hays State University, or Emporia State University, and graduate debt-free, while also receiving mentoring on academic and life skills.
The program began with the 2018 academic year, is highly competitive, and rewards high school seniors who have demonstrated solid academic performance and other key attributes including grit, determination, humility and work ethic. This year 75 college students will be Rudd Scholars, and in August 2021 the program is expected to grow to 100 individuals each year.
In addition to Corri’s promotion, we also thank Pete Najera for his efforts to launch and lead the Rudd Scholars program when he joined the foundation as President in 2017. Pete recently made the decision to accept a leadership role with United Way of the Plains in Wichita. Darrell Swank, board member of Rudd Foundation and President of Standard Beverage, will step into the Rudd Foundation President role given his involvement behind the scenes the past several years.
“Consistent with Leslie’s vision, the goal of the Rudd Scholars program is to support future generations of Kansas leaders in all walks of life. We are well on our way, thank Pete for his efforts and contributions, and believe that under Corri’s leadership, the program will continue to flourish and positively impact talented students from all across the state,” said Darrell Swank. “We are excited about the program’s impact on students’ lives and more broadly for Kansas!”
