Joe (g’98) and Shonna (Unrau g’99) Kukula and their family are passionate about Christian education.
As their oldest son, Creighton (SO, Elbing, Kan.), began to weigh his college options, a realization that keeping Christian education part of his future became vividly clear. Creighton, the oldest of their three children, graduated from Berean Academy in Elbing, Kan., and decided to attend Tabor College in fall 2023.
When comparing Tabor’s scholarships to those of an in-state public institution, Creighton’s second choice, the Kukula family found the cost difference to be less than $200.
Putting an affordable price on a college degree at a Christian, liberal arts institution was significant.
Scholarships such as the Lohrenz ($35,000), Tabor 20 ($30,000) and Legacy ($28,000) offer opportunities for students to significantly cut costs. Whether entering as a freshman or a transfer, merit scholarships of $14,000 or more are also available to students with a GPA of 2.5 or higher and can be stacked with participation scholarships for a combined $20,000 or more.
“Being on scholarship has made Tabor much easier and stress-free,” Creighton said. “I appreciate how Tabor has one set price with everything included and no extra fees.”
Creighton is a recipient of the Tabor 20 Scholarship and both parents spoke to the value of adding the new Legacy Scholarship for children and grandchildren of the college’s graduates.
“We go to Koerner Heights [Church in Newton] and several students are at Tabor now because of the Tabor 20,” Shonna said. “There are people we went to school with and they don’t attend an MB church, so it’s really good to have an option for them.”
Daughter of Wilbur (g’72, fb’10-22) and Vernelle (Schroeder g’73) Unrau, Shonna has enjoyed seeing Creighton become a third-generation Tabor student.
When moving away from home, both parents spoke of Tabor’s value in the community and seeing their own spiritual lives deepen.
“The tight community and that feeling of family were important to me,” Shonna said. “You feel like you know everyone or at least know the names of most students. The environment encouraged spiritual growth in a time when you’re on your own for the first time.”
Because of his time on the Tabor basketball team, Creighton’s on-campus community has been similar to his parents’ experience.
“I would tell any student that college is exactly what you make of it,” Creighton said. “Community [on campus] is everything. I can’t vouch for every community with public colleges, but Tabor has a great community of students, faculty, staff, and Hillsboro residents that make you feel loved and cared for.”
Joe said there are relationships, regardless of the era of a Tabor graduate, that will last a lifetime.
“Tabor’s not just a destination, but an experience we’ve carried on.”
The three eldest members of the Kukula family have attended or graduated from Tabor College, including (L to R): Creighton (SO, Elbing, Kan.), Shonna (Unrau g’99), and Joe (g’98). Averett and Emory are students at Berean Academy in Elbing, Kan.
When moving away from home, both parents spoke of Tabor’s value in the community and seeing their own spiritual lives deepen. “The tight community and that feeling of family were important to me,” Shonna said. “You feel like you know everyone or at least know the names of most students. The environment encouraged spiritual growth in a time when you’re on your own for the first time.”