2025 Scholarship Recipients
The AAUW Manhattan Branch Awarded Four K-State Nontraditional Female Student Scholarships for the 2025-2026 Academic Year
Four outstanding K-State nontraditional female graduate students were awarded AAUW scholarships for the 2025-2026 academic year. The AAUW scholarship program is administered each year through the Greater Manhattan Community Foundation (https://www.mcfks.org) and is funded by the local AAUW Manhattan Branch. The award recipients were Barbara Baker, MA student in drama therapy; Maryam Ghasempour, MFA student in photography; Nicole Kucherov, PhD student in entomology; and Emma Jane Mauer, MA student in drama therapy.
Barbara Baker is a first-generation student and cancer survivor who moved from New England to Manhattan to further her studies in drama therapy. Surviving cancer gave her a deeper appreciation of what is means to be free to dream and blossom again. She was awarded an assistantship with the First-Generation Student Center at K-State and continues to serve as an advocate for first-generation college students through advising and campus programing. After completing her MA and hopefully an internship focused on virtual writing, her career goals are to own a studio and offer workshops in creative arts therapies. She would also like to work as a consultant with academia and cancer institutions on drama therapy modalities to support mental health wellness.
Maryam Ghasempour is originally from Iran and has a passion for photography with a focus on creating documentaries on honest and candid moments. Her work in Iran, particularly photographing the working conditions of older people and issues surrounding child labor, was often met with resistance from the government and encounters with authorities. Seeking an environment to freely create her art and showcase the strength of Iranian women, she came to the U.S. She is currently working on her MFA and holds a GTA in photography. Her work has been featured in magazines, galleries, and exhibitions. She also is a member of the Society for Photographic Educators. Her goals are to pursue a PhD in interdisciplinary arts and obtain a position in academia.
Nicole Kucherov is pursuing a PhD in entomology with a focus on sustainable agriculture. Her diversified background rooted in education and love of scientific inquiry includes teaching English in Chile and science courses in inner city high schools, working on preserving local ecosystems through community-based initiatives, and initiating a nature hiking club for youth. Her current research is exploring the interplay between landscape composition, climate patterns, and insect communities. After graduation her goals are to complete a postdoc and to obtain a position in academia, a nonprofit, or USDA to continue her work in sustainable agriculture, marrying land conservation with healthy food production to create a better world.
Emma Jane Maurer was inspired to pursue a MA in drama therapy because of her personal medical conditions since childhood, spending considerable time in and out of hospital with numerous surgeries. An undergraduate research project in drama therapy and a campus visit from a drama therapist, coupled with her desire to give back to hospitals provided the incentive. She envisions incorporating the tools of the field, such as masks, puppet making, and storytelling, to give patients a positive way to express their emotions. Her dream is to establish a drama therapy program for children with disabilities at the Hershey Medical Center where she received treatment as a youth. She wants to encourage others to be confident in themselves and their abilities no matter their diagnoses.
We congratulate the four AAUW scholarship awardees and wish them success in their graduate studies and professional aspirations.
(More information to follow)