After 11 years, another ECA cohort celebrates with loved ones at the ceremony
El Dorado, KAN. (May 27, 2025) – More than one hundred high school students celebrated with family, friends and peers at Butler Community College’s 2025 Early College Academy (ECA) ceremony. These students marked over a decade of high schoolers earning an associate degree, tech certificate or academy scholar certificate through Butler’s ECA.
On May 10, the ECA recognized current high school students who successfully completed their courses of study in areas like Health Science, Cyber Security, Welding and more. Each student received an academic cord to wear at the college’s May 16 commencement.
Savannah Mann (Andover), a Liberal Arts student, Barrett Pirtle (Leon), a Welding student, and Katie Evans (Wichita), a Health Science student, spoke about their time in the ECA, including how their studies, teachers and peers have shaped them. Pirtle recently won the local Heartland Welding Academy competition and placed 4th out of 125 competitors in the Kentucky Welding Institute’s national competition.
ECA students spend half a day at their respective high schools and the rest of the day on a Butler campus, including El Dorado, Andover or Rose Hill, depending upon their pathway choice. In the fall, Butler will add McConnell Air Force Base to the ECA campus location options with the new MyTrack Liberal Arts pathway.
According to Dean of Online, High School & Community Learning Heather Rinkenbaugh, this cohort has been offered at least $500,000 collectively in transfer scholarships as of the ceremony date, meaning more scholarship offers might potentially arise before the fall semester begins.
Vice President of Academics Barry Robinson presented the Instructor of the Year Award to Shellie Gutierrez, education department chair. The student quoted for the nomination claimed Gutierrez’s “enthusiasm was contagious and always brightened my day.”
The student could tell “Dr. G” cared about her students’ lives and education. “Dr. G provided me the motivation to keep on going and the tools and skills to build a successful future.” Gutierrez is credited with providing engaging, thorough and educational lessons.
Tim Myers, history department chair, offered a faculty reflection, where he encouraged graduates to embrace emotions that build up others and to use logic, reason and science while taking on the world. Myers said he has taught 37 years and about 30,000 students. While talking about emotions serving his students, Meyers let his own show through with a few tears. “Strive to be better than we were today. Strive to be excellent,” Meyers imparted on the 2025 cohort.
Butler’s ECA offers many pathway and certificate options to high school students, giving them a head start in their academic and career journeys.
To view the photo album, visit https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjCfgeh
The 2025 Early College Academy graduate candidates are grouped below by hometown (high school and pathway denoted):
* Designates Order of the Gold, 4.0 Cumulative GPA
+ Designates Order of the Purple, 3.75 or higher Cumulative GPA
Andover
Caden Beard – Andover High School – Pre-Nursing
Owen Beeson – Andover High School – Business
*Allie Conard – Andover High School – Pre-Engineering
Ayden Erbert – Andover Central High School – Liberal Arts
*Molly Fitzgerald – Andover High School – Pre-Engineering
Tyler Gannon – Andover Central High School – Liberal Arts
+Isaac Hedrich – Andover Central High School – Health Science
Rylie Kaberline – Andover Central High School – Liberal Arts
*Isabella Kear – Andover Central High School – Liberal Arts
*Victorija Litavniks – Andover Central High School – Health Science
Savannah Mann – Andover High School – Liberal Arts
+Matthew Palacio – Andover High School – Pre-Engineering
Jayden Patel – Andover Central High School – Business
Cole Scocos – Andover Central High School – Engineering Studies
Ava Sizemore – Andover Central High School – Liberal Arts
Zoe Spencer – Andover Central High School – Health Science
Cade Winchester – Andover Central High School – Liberal Arts
Augusta
Luis Alvarado – Augusta High School – Culinary
+Emmary Eagleson – Bluestem High School – Health Science
Landen Highbager – Augusta High School – Welding
Brooklyn Jones – Augusta High School – Liberal Arts
Kenzie Kearney – Augusta High School – Liberal Arts
*Leah Lamb – Augusta High School – Health Science
Chloe Martin – Douglass High School – Health Science
Abbigail Ramirez – Augusta High School – Culinary
Brooke Robert – Augusta High School – Health Science
Kylee Stueven – Augusta High School – Health Science
*Lily Vance – Augusta High School – Business
Trayten Vest – Douglass High School – Business
Benton
Tatum Wernli – Circle High School – Liberal Arts
Derby
Ellison Beran – Derby High School – Liberal Arts
+Hayley Brumbelow – Derby High School – Liberal Arts
Adriana Dollarhide – Derby High School – Liberal Arts
Lily Dowell – Derby High School – Health Science
Aiden Ferguson – Derby High School – Business
*Alyssa Hardsaw – Derby High School – Education
*Allison Hoffman – Derby High School – Health Science
Faith Linares – Derby High School – Business
Emilina Phouthavong – Derby High School – Pre-Nursing
Alex Raney – Derby High School – Health Science
Isabella Reams – Derby High School – Health Science
Brody Roberts – Rose Hill High School – Cyber Security
+Colton Roberts – Rose Hill High School – Engineering Studies
*Cadence Runyan – Derby High School – Education
*Zach Thomas – Derby High School – Health Science
+Isaac Vigil – Derby High School – Business
Douglass
Emily Leeper – Douglass High School – Health Science
Carson Martin – Douglass High School – Agriculture
Nayara Sanchez – Douglass High School – Business
El Dorado
Sam Greene – El Dorado High School – Agriculture
*Mikaela Hall – El Dorado High School – Liberal Arts
+Ben McAdoo – Circle High School – Welding
Chase Pond – Circle High School – Health Science
Steven Porter – El Dorado High School – Software Development
Kru Sanchez – El Dorado High School – Business
Abel Urbina – El Dorado High School – Diesel Tech
Madyson Van Auken – El Dorado High School – Health Science
Payton Wade – El Dorado High School – Business
Herington
Ransom Tiffany – Homeschool – Agriculture
Kechi
Ayden D’Angelo – Circle High School – Liberal Arts
Leon
Emily Craft – Bluestem High School – Health Science
Madeleine Mace – Homeschool – Agriculture
Barrett Pirtle – Homeschool – Welding
Kathrine Thompson – Bluestem High School – Agriculture
Mulvane
Austin Allen – Mulvane High School – Engineering Studies
+Tarissa Barry – Rose Hill High School – Culinary
Tessa Caliguiro – Derby High School – Health Science
+Mackenzie Christian – Mulvane High School – Engineering Studies
*Claire Hansen – Mulvane High School – Liberal Arts
John Mistretta – Mulvane High School – Diesel Tech
+Kenna O’Dell – Mulvane High School – Liberal Arts
Park City
Melanie Smith – Kapaun High School – Education
Madison Wilcox – Height High School – Culinary
Rose Hill
Raegan Jackson – Derby High School – Health Science
Wyatt Laver – Douglass High School – Liberal Arts
Emberlin Lewis – Rose Hill High School – Liberal Arts
*Ava Markley – Rose Hill High School – Health Science
*Myla Vincent – Andover eCademy – Liberal Arts
Udall
Jade Smallwood – Mulvane High School – Health Science
Valley Center
Ashton Robbins – Valley Center High School – Liberal Arts
Wichita
Korina Brayboy – East High School – Pre-Nursing
*Katelyn Burdette – Andover High School – Liberal Arts
Ayla Camacho – Derby High School – Health Science
+Grace Camden – Homeschool – Health Science
+McKinley Castleberry – Andover High School – Liberal Arts
Megan Childs – Andover High School – Health Science
+Gabe Craig – Sunrise Christian Academy – Engineering Studies
*Addison Dame – Andover Central High School – Liberal Arts
*Katie Evans – Andover High School – Health Science
*Paisley Ghormley – Andover High School – Liberal Arts
+Chase Haberichter – Andover High School – Liberal Arts
+Sarah Hopper – Andover High School – Liberal Arts
*Jennifer Huela – Andover High School – Health Science
Kira Kurtz – Derby High School – Health Science
Julian McClure – Bishop Carroll High School – Culinary
+Isabelle McHenry – East High School – Liberal Arts
JaNora Peterson – Andover eCademy – Liberal Arts
Shannon Shaw – Andover Central High School – Engineering Studies
+Lillian Spurlock – Andover Central High School – Liberal Arts
Angelina Thi – Derby High School – Pre-Nursing
Benjamin Westbrook – Circle High School – Auto Tech
*Aneila Williams – Andover High School – Education
*Madeline Wolff – Andover eCademy – Liberal Arts
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About Butler Community College:
Butler Community College, Kansas’ only Adobe Creative Campus and a recognized Aspen Institute Top 150 U.S. Community College, offers more than 100 degree programs and 30 professional certificate programs in person and online. The main campus is in El Dorado, Kansas, with additional campuses throughout the county and beyond. Visit www.butlercc.edu to learn more.
Photo: Early College Academy of Butler Community celebrates more than one hundred high school student graduate candidates on May 10. (Photo Credit: Rodney Dimick)
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