Kento Aizawa was recognized by the Kansas Independent College Foundation (KICF) for his excellence in academics, character and integrity, along with his commitment to the value of a private college education in Kansas. He was among 20 students from private colleges across the state to receive the Maud Wyatt Recognition Scholarship presented by KICF.
Aizawa, who is from McPherson, is a senior at McPherson College majoring in math. He hopes to work as an actuary after graduating; he has been working as an actuarial intern at Farmers Alliance Insurance Company since 2018. Recipients of the scholarship are full-time, degree seeking students on the cusp of graduation who maintain GPAs of 3.5 or above and contribute to their communities.
Along with being a top student, Aizawa is an acclaimed student musician. He plays clarinet in the McPherson College Band and has performed with several other local and regional bands. In high school he played with the Wichita Youth Symphony, and as a sophomore at McPherson College won the Newton Mid-Kansas Symphony Orchestra’s Young Soloists Competition. Last year, he auditioned for and received a permanent position with the Salina Symphony. He also tries to pass on his love of music to younger generations by volunteering at the McPherson Middle School.
“I like helping the band students get better by helping them understand what they are playing. It makes it more enjoyable,” he said. “I pursued this because as a child I didn’t have a lot of money to pay for lessons. This is my way of giving back – paying it forward.”