MANHATTAN -- Kansas State University has awarded four Edgerley-Franklin Urban Leadership Scholarships to high school seniors who have made notable contributions to the urban communities in which they live.

Scholarship recipients are: Stephanie Skinner, Olathe, Olathe East High School; Emma Brace, Topeka, Topeka High School; and James Gamble and Joseph Valdes, both of Liberty, Mo., and who attend Liberty High School.

The Edgerley-Franklin Urban Leadership Scholarship is part of K-State's Urban Leadership Scholars Program, which aims to give students the knowledge they need to address America's most crucial urban needs.

The $3,000 scholarships were awarded based on community service and high school grade point average. They are renewable for up to three years with a 3.0 grade point average.

The scholarship is named in honor of the Paul Edgerley and Bernard Franklin families, K-State alumni who continuously demonstrate leadership and support of service to individuals from urban areas. The scholarship was created in memory of Franklin's wife, Elsia, who was committed to helping better the lives of young girls in urban Alabama.