MANHATTAN, Kansas – ​On the heels of recent support and increased programming for diversity and inclusion and mental health, K-State Athletics continues its mission of enhancing the overall student-athlete experience as the department announced today an $11.5 million gift from Ike and Letty Evans to launch the Ike and Letty Evans Student-Athlete Success Program.
This major gift will transform the current Student-Athlete Services department and allow for enhanced staffing, technological advances and programming for all student-athletes and academic services staff. Also included in the programming is a four-year plan for better preparing student-athletes for success after college with milestone goals set each year in the areas of leadership, academic development and professional development.
“Ike and Letty are phenomenal K-Staters who wanted to make a difference in the lives of our student-athletes,” Athletics Director Gene Taylor said. “This gift will transform our student-athlete services department into one that is the envy of college athletics departments in the country and will have a lasting impact on the recruitment and success of all of our student-athletes.”
Residents of Bluffton, South Carolina, the Evans have been longtime Kansas State supporters and recently contributed to name the Ike and Letty Evans Academic Success Center in the Carl R. Ice College of Engineering. The center offers workshops on study skills, time management, engineering careers and internships. Through the center, students can access peer-to-peer tutoring, test preparation, first-year instruction and diversity support programs such as Women in Engineering and the Multicultural Engineering Program.
Ike Evans, also a Wildcat baseball letterman, graduated from Kansas State University in 1965 with a degree in electrical engineering, while Letty also attended K-State following an upbringing in Topeka. The Evanses invest in both faculty and students in the college of engineering, and Ike is a member of the College of Engineering Hall of Fame and served on the Engineering Advisory Council. Ike retired after serving as president and COO of Union Pacific Railroad, one of America’s leading transportation companies and North America’s premier railroad franchise covering 23 states across the Western two-thirds of the United States.
“K-State is special to us, and we wanted to help in a way that could enhance and change the lives of Wildcat student-athletes,” Ike and Letty said. “Our gift will enable K-State Athletics to allocate resources to assist student-athletes in their personal development with programming that establishes a lifetime of foundational skills and habits. We are excited for this program and are truly blessed to be able to help.”
Kristin Waller, Senior Associate Athletics Director for Student-Athlete Services believes this generous gift from the Evans family will have the kind of impact that will change the lives of student-athletes for decades to come.
“We are so incredibly grateful and humbled by the generosity of Ike and Letty,” Waller said. “Quality programming that is meaningful to the student-athlete experience is one of our key missions as we prepare them for their future professional plans. The magnitude of this gift will allow us to re-imagine services and implement practical experiences and programming that we've only ever dreamed of providing to our student athletes. This is a very special day for K-State student-athletes.”
More details regarding the new program will be announced at a later date.