For Avery Wegner, recently announced as the recipient of the 2026 Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship for Pulaski County, life in Pulaski County can be summed up in one simple yet very important word.
Community.
“One of the great things about living in Pulaski County is that it’s the kind of place where every time you look around the corner, someone is there to help you out,” said Avery, a senior at Winamac High School who was selected to receive the annual scholarship from a pool of five finalists from Pulaski County schools.
“The people here are so connected,” said Avery. “I have so much family here, so many friends and neighbors. My grandparents lived here, and their grandparents before them. With this award, I feel even more supported by the community. Pulaski County may be small, but this is an active and energized community. I’ve been able to grow up with a lot of opportunities, and I’m thankful for all of them.”
Helping dreams come true
The Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship covers four years of full tuition and fees and up to $900 annually for books and equipment. The scholarship is for undergraduate students studying on a full-time basis leading to a baccalaureate degree at any eligible Indiana public or private nonprofit college or university.
Lilly Endowment Community Scholars may also participate in the Lilly Scholars Network (LSN), which connects both current scholars and alumni with resources and viable opportunities to be active leaders on their campuses and in their communities. Both the scholarship program and LSN are supported by grants from Lilly Endowment to Independent Colleges of Indiana (ICI) and Indiana Humanities.
Winning the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship for Pulaski County, Avery said, has already opened up a whole new world of choices and opportunities she never thought possible.
“My heart has always been set on Butler University, but I thought it would be too expensive, and—instead—I’d been planning on attending Purdue,” said Avery. “Purdue is a great school, but I’ve always wanted to go to Butler since I was a kid because my mom went there, and I have other family close by. I remember visiting Butler when I was young and just falling in love with that university. Thanks to the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship, I’m able to go to Butler, and I just feel so grateful.”
Always driven to succeed, Avery said she felt something more than joy when she was informed that she had been named the 2026 recipient.
“More than anything, I felt gratitude and relief when I first found out,” she said. “I was feeling a little worried up until then because I didn’t know if I’d be able to achieve my goal. Now that I’m heading to Butler, I’m just so excited. The school has a long history of accommodating Lilly scholars and they also have extracurricular art programs that appeal to me. I’ve always loved the arts, including pottery and drawing, and at Butler I’ll have the chance to be more involved. This opportunity sets me up for more than just college; it helps me set up my career and my whole life.”
Avery hopes to study to be a veterinarian during her four years at Butler, and currently helps out at the Pulaski Animal Center, a 501(c) (3) non-profit, all-volunteer, all-donation-supported rescue for unwanted and homeless dogs and cats in Pulaski County.
Proudly supporting area students
“Being able to offer and administer such a life-changing scholarship for young people in our community like Avery is an absolute honor,” said Leeann Wright, Executive Director of the Community Foundation of Pulaski County, which builds resources, engages people, and inspires generosity to enrich lives in Pulaski County, Indiana. “The Lilly Endowment has been so generous to our county since this scholarship program was created for the 1997-98 school year. Since then, grant funding in excess of $490 million has supported more than 5,300 Indiana students who have received scholarships through this program.
“We had an incredible group of finalists for the 2026 award, including Sydney Mellon and Maisie Toosley from the West Central School Corporation, and Avery, Madelyn Goodman, and Brooke Rausch from Winamac Community High School. While it was an honor to announce Avery as the 2026 recipient, every one of our finalists was exceptional. We couldn’t be more proud of all five young ladies for their commitment, diligence, and hard work.”
In determining Pulaski County’s Lilly Endowment Community Scholar nominees, consideration was given to academics, community leadership, and character and values by the Community Foundation of Pulaski County’s Scholarship Selection Committee. After the field of applicants was narrowed down, nominees were submitted to ICI, the statewide administrator of the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program, which approves the final selection of scholarship recipients.
A special Indiana connection
The primary purposes of the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program are: 1) to help raise the level of educational attainment in Indiana; 2) to increase awareness of the beneficial roles Indiana community foundations can play in their communities; and 3) to encourage and support the efforts of current and past Lilly Endowment Community Scholars to engage with each other and with Indiana business, governmental, educational, nonprofit and civic leaders to improve the quality of life in Indiana generally and in local communities throughout the state.
Lilly Endowment Inc., an Indianapolis-based private foundation created in 1937 by J.K. Lilly Sr. and his sons Eli and J.K. Jr., supports the causes of community development, education, and religion. Although the Endowment funds programs throughout the United States, especially in the field of religion, it maintains a special commitment to its founders’ hometown, Indianapolis, and home state of Indiana.
Since 1997, Independent Colleges of Indiana (ICI) has administered the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program statewide with funding provided by Lilly Endowment. Founded in 1948, ICI serves as the collective voice for the state’s 29 private, nonprofit colleges and universities. ICI institutions employ over 22,000 Hoosiers and generate a total local economic impact of over $5 billion annually. Students at ICI colleges have Indiana’s highest four-year, on-time graduation rates, and ICI institutions produce 30 percent of Indiana’s bachelor’s degrees while enrolling 20 percent of its undergraduates.
An inspiring and supportive community
According to Avery’s mom, Megan Wegner, the annual Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship does more than help Pulaski County students; it speaks volumes about the community, overall.
“This annual program says a lot about how much Pulaski County values education and its young adults,” said Megan Wegner. “It is a powerful investment in the future, not just for one student but hopefully—in the long run—for the whole community. For Avery, the award gives her the freedom to choose a college based on her interests and goals without cost weighing into the decision. We’ve always believed in Avery and knew she was a strong candidate, but the other finalists were all incredible young women, too.
Being part of such an impressive group was meaningful on its own, so finding out she was selected was a very happy and humbling surprise.”
Avery, always a humble winner—whether seeking scholarships or as a student-athlete at Winamac High School—was quick to distribute much of the credit for her award to those around her.
“My parents obviously are my biggest motivators,” she said. “I learned what type of person I want to be from watching my parents and my family, and they always made sure to set great examples and help me achieve my full potential. I’ve also had great coaching. Mikey Haschel, my Track and Cross Country coach at Winamac, has been so inspiring and supportive to me over the years, and my Drama teacher, Patrick Schuttrow, helped me prepare for my interviews and phone calls during the award selection process. It’s pretty amazing to feel like you have a whole community behind you, and I’m thankful to my parents, my friends and family, and the entire community.”
Asked if she has any advice for future scholarship applicants, Avery stressed the importance of always being an authentic individual.
“Don’t be afraid to let people know who you are and what you stand for,” she said. “Your thoughts and opinions matter and are important. Be inspiring. Be different. And always be yourself.”
Congratulations, Avery, we are so proud of you, and we wish you the best of success!