Over 100 Topeka USD 501 students get shopping trips donated by Advisors Excel

Rafael Garcia and Evert Nelson, Topeka Capital-Journal
·2 min read
Javon Timley, first-grader at Ross Elementary, browses a selection of hoodies and sweaters at Kohl's with the help from Advisors Excel employee Devin Seats on Wednesday. Thanks to a partnership between Topeka Public Schools and Advisors Excel, about 120 students were given the opportunity to help their family shop for gifts.
Javon Timley, first-grader at Ross Elementary, browses a selection of hoodies and sweaters at Kohl's with the help from Advisors Excel employee Devin Seats on Wednesday. Thanks to a partnership between Topeka Public Schools and Advisors Excel, about 120 students were given the opportunity to help their family shop for gifts.

About 1 p.m. Wednesday, Topeka USD 501 superintendent Tiffany Anderson mysteriously disappeared for about two hours from the district.

Luckily, in her place came Mrs. Claus, as she made her rounds around the USD 501 preschoolers and kindergarteners enjoying the shopping trip of their short lifetimes at Kohl's.

For the past several years, staffers from Advisors Excel have taken students in need from the district on holiday shopping trips to the department store.

While the trips are paid for on the financial adviser marketing company's dime, staffers from the company love to volunteer for the annual holiday shopping trips, and they compete for the limited slots, said Tracy Khounsavanh Killough, director of community engagement for Advisors Excel.

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Selena Espinoza, a pre-kindergarten student at Pine Ridge, gives Santa Claus a hug before beginning her shopping spree with Advisors Excel employees Wednesday at Kohl's.
Selena Espinoza, a pre-kindergarten student at Pine Ridge, gives Santa Claus a hug before beginning her shopping spree with Advisors Excel employees Wednesday at Kohl's.

"They just love being able to spend time with the kids," Khounsavanh Killough said. "It's really all about joy. ... Our hope is that it spreading kindness, love and supporting our community, we can make a big difference for these kids, and that it's a moment that sticks with them forever."

About 120 students, from preschool to high school, will receive shopping trips this year. Khounsavanh Killough said that in her experience, younger kids naturally pick more items from the toy section, while older students may pick more necessary items like clothes or even outfits for job and college interviews.

Getting into the festive spirit, Advisors Excel facilities manager Robin Boudreau smiles alongside Santa as students from Topeka Public Schools arrive for a shopping day at Kohl's.
Getting into the festive spirit, Advisors Excel facilities manager Robin Boudreau smiles alongside Santa as students from Topeka Public Schools arrive for a shopping day at Kohl's.

Wednesday, though, was younger children from a few of the district's elementary schools, and Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus each prowled around the toys section, handing out hugs, smiles and sweet candy canes to beaming students.

It's all the students are able to talk about for weeks when they return to their schools and tell their friends about their awesome experiences, said Eva Yerkes, a counselor at Ross Elementary.

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Mrs. Claus visits with Ross Elementary students who were on a shopping spree sponsored by Advisors Excel on Wednesday afternoon at Kohl's.
Mrs. Claus visits with Ross Elementary students who were on a shopping spree sponsored by Advisors Excel on Wednesday afternoon at Kohl's.

"This is just such a big blessing to our school," Yerkes said. "Any help like this is, and our school's families and parents are just so grateful that others in the community are willing to do this."

Devin Seats, help desk support specialist at Advisors Excel, helped Javon Timley, a first-grader at Ross Elementary, hunt through the back corner of Kohl's for toys not only for himself, but also for his siblings.

With the help of Advisors Excel employee Mallory Konrade, Alaina St. Clair, a kindergarten student at Williams Magnet, gets help on a $200 shopping trip to Kohl's.
With the help of Advisors Excel employee Mallory Konrade, Alaina St. Clair, a kindergarten student at Williams Magnet, gets help on a $200 shopping trip to Kohl's.

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Seats said the opportunity to help Javon shop was particularly impactful for him, since he has a 6-year-old of his own.

"You get to have such a direct impact on the kids, and they get to experience something amazing," Seats said. "It's just great to see the smiles on their faces."

Rafael Garcia is an education reporter for the Topeka Capital-Journal. He can be reached at rgarcia@cjonline.com or by phone at ‪785-289-5325. Follow him on Twitter at @byRafaelGarcia.

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Advisors Excel donates more than 100 shopping sprees to USD 501 students