In recognition of their contributions to Colby Community College and the community, Mark and Wendy Weishaar will be awarded the honorary associate degree during the college's commencement ceremony on May 12.

Mark and Wendy are Colby High School alums. After attending Colby Community College, they continued their education at Kansas State University. Mark earned a bachelor's degree in construction science, and Wendy completed a bachelor's in consumer affairs while participating on the KSU tennis team.

Wendy was a member of the inaugural girl's tennis team at Colby High School. She later worked for the United States Tennis Association (USTA), overseeing the Southwest section of the USTA that includes Arizona, New Mexico, and El Paso County of Texas, where she taught lessons.

After returning to Colby, she has shared her love of the game through coaching CHS tennis teams for the last decade. She also coached middle school boy's and girls' basketball for several years.

Currently, Wendy is president of the board for LiveWell Northwest Kansas, a non-profit advocacy organization improving all aspects of health for the region, and serves as vice president for the Friends of Pioneer Memorial Library board. She also previously volunteered on several other boards in Colby and Thomas County.

Mark is the vice president of the Pioneer Memorial Library board. He shares his culinary expertise cooking and hosting fundraising dinners for organizations such as the Thomas County Community Foundation and the Prairie Museum of Art and History. He also volunteers time with the Colby High School advanced culinary class. In addition to his contributions to the community, he has worked for Tutor Perini Building Corp. for the last 35 years.

Mark and Wendy also collaborate on projects. With Greg Bellamy, they helped plan, design, and fundraise for the Colby Tennis Center that opened at the college in 2021. The facility, with two tennis courts and two pickleball courts, is open to the public at no charge.

The Weishaars have connections to Thomas County that span multiple generations. Their son Parker is a CCC graduate. Mark's father, Bill, grew up in Gem, and both of Wendy's grandfathers were instrumental in the early days of the college. Jesse J. Evans helped establish the Endowment Foundation, and Albert Frahm served on the inaugural board of trustees.

"We are both proud of the role our families have had with the college and community," said Wendy. "We've always felt connected, even when we didn't live in Colby full-time.