The Shawnee Mission School District (SMSD) has earned numerous honors in recent months, showcasing the district’s excellence in various fields. Logan Sommerla, a recent Shawnee Mission West graduate, won the National SkillsUSA championship in culinary arts, marking the district’s second overall win in the last four years.
National Recognition
Additionally, Audrey Gilroy, an art teacher at Westridge Middle School, was named a Region 3 finalist for the Kansas Teacher of the Year program. Julia Orth, a third-grade teacher at Nieman Elementary, was recognized as the district’s elementary-level nominee by the Kansas State Department of Education.
The Shawnee Mission North Navy Junior Officers Training Corps (NJROTC) team won the Area 15 Championship and qualified for Nationals for the 21st consecutive year. Roni Smith, a third-grader at Nieman Elementary School, was recognized as 102.1 BOB FM’s Kind Kid of the Month for showing kindness to a classmate.
Other Honors
Amy Morgan, a journalism sponsor at Shawnee Mission West, was inducted into the Kansas Scholastic Press Association (KSPA) Hall of Fame. Signature Program Engineering students JR Phimmachanh, Owen Andrews, and Sang Son earned national recognition as NASA HUNCH finalists. Four Shawnee Mission students were named 2026 Kansas Career and Technical Education Scholars by the Kansas State Department of Education.
Sofia Ball, a senior at Shawnee Mission Northwest, was named the Kansas High School Journalist of the Year by the Kansas Scholastic Press Association (KSPA). Students from Shawnee Mission East, Shawnee Mission Northwest, and Shawnee Mission South won top honors at the eMagine Media Festival, a regional competition in digital storytelling and animation.
Kim Urenda, a counselor at Shawnee Mission West High School, was named the 2026 STEM, Education, and Skilled Award recipient at the Nuestra Latina Awards. Shawnee Mission Northwest, Shawnee Mission South, and Shawnee Mission West were named 2026 All Star High Schools.
Original reporting: Johnson County Post (Overland Park) — read the source article.
