Pines Village Retirement Communities, Inc., announces the 2023-2024 recipients of the Margaret M. Rivers and Anne Lauterbach scholarship awards. The scholarship program was created to foster employee longevity and encourage employees to pursue their higher education goals. Through the generosity of our residents, their families, the Board of Directors, and staff, over $340,000 in scholarships has been awarded to Pines Village employees since 1996.
The Margaret M. Rivers Fund - created in honor of Midge Rivers, founding director and CEO of Pines Village Retirement Communities.
The Anne Lauterbach Fund - created in honor of the late Anne Lauterbach, an educator, and a Pines Village resident.
Every year Pines Village holds a ceremony for graduates and scholarship recipients for residents, staff, and their families to celebrate their achievements.
FRONT ROW: Lillian Gillins, Abrey Gudeman, Sylvia Rotole, Anna Petrouski, Taylor Schumann, Bessia Wiegand
BACK ROW: Matthew Plys, Ian Hunter Smith, Lucy Warner, Ashley Graegin
This year, for the 2023-2024 school year, $ 25,000 was awarded to the following 13 student employees:
Madison Elizondo received a Margaret M Rivers scholarship. Madison has been employed in Home Health for a little over two years now and is attending Purdue University Northwest in Hammond working towards a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (RN degree). Madison’s parents are Jennifer and Tony Elizondo.
Madelyn Evans received a Margaret M Rivers scholarship. Madelyn has been employed in Dining Services for just under 5 years and attends Grand Valley State University in Allendale, Michigan, where she majors in Secondary Mathematics Education. Madelyn's parents are Stanna and Brad Evans.
Lilly Gillins received an Anne Lauterbach scholarship. Lilly has been employed in Dining Services for over six years and has also been a great help in our Resident Services department the past two summers! Lilly attends Florida College in Temple Terrace, Florida where she majors in Business Administration. Lily's parents are Kurt and Patty Black-Gillins
Ashley Graegin received an Anne Lauterbach scholarship. Ashley has been employed in Dining Services for almost five and a half years. She also works in our Home Health department as an aide. Ashley attends Colgate University in Hamilton, New York where she majors in English Literature & Education. Her parents are Geoffrey and Julie Graegin.
Abrey Gudeman received an Anne Lauterbach scholarship. Abrey has been employed in Dining Services going on two years. Abrey will be attending Huntington University in Huntington, Indiana pursuing a degree in Occupational Therapy. Her parents are Glen and Kerri Gudeman.
Aleksa Matijevic received an Anne Lauterbach scholarship. Aleksa has been employed in Dining Services for close to 5 years. Aleksa will be attending Ivy Tech working towards a career in Data Analytics. His parents are Jelena and Tim Chenoski.
Anna Petrouski received an Anne Lauterbach scholarship. Anna has been employed in Dining Services for a little over two years and will be attending University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where she will major in Biology as she studies to become a Physician Assistant. Her parents are Christopher and Dana Petrouski.
Matthew Plys received an Anne Lauterbach scholarship. Matt has been employed in Dining Services for close to 2 years. Matt will be attending Indiana University in Bloomington pursuing a degree in Nursing. His parents are Shawn and Rob Plys.
Sylvia Rotole received an Anne Lauterbach scholarship. Sylvia has been employed in Dining Services for almost 1-1/2 years. She will be attending Purdue University Northwest in Westville pursuing a degree in Nursing. Her parents are John and Joanna Rotole.
Taylor Schumann received an Anne Lauterbach scholarship. Taylor has been employed in Home Health for a little over a year. She attends Valparaiso University pursuing a Nursing degree. Taylor’s parents are Traci and Paul Schumann.
Ian Hunter Smith received an Anne Lauterbach scholarship. Ian has been employed in Dining Services for close to 3 years now and attends Depauw University in Greencastle, IN majoring in Philosophy as he studies to become an attorney. Ian’s parents are Hope and Julien Smith.
Lucy Warner received an Anne Lauterbach scholarship. Lucy has been employed in Dining Services for 3 years. She will be attending Purdue University West Lafayette working towards becoming a Physician. Her parents are Karen and Tim Warner.
Bessia Wiegand received a combination of an Anne Lauterbach and a Margaret M Rivers scholarship. Bessia began her career with Pines Village in 2012 working in our Resident Services department for a little over a year before transferring to Home Health where she has worked since. Bessia will be attending Ivy Tech as she pursues a degree as a Licensed Practical Nurse. Bessia and her husband, Wes, live in Crown Point.
Pines Village would like to also congratulate 2023 college graduate Kelly Lyp for receiving her Doctorate in Nursing Practice from St Mary’s College in Notre Dame along with 2023 high school graduates Macy Brown, Abrey Gudeman, Henry Harris, Anna Petrouski, Matthew Plys, Sylvia Rotole, and Lucy Warner. We are truly happy for each of you and your individual accomplishments! Congrats!
Pines Village Retirement Communities is a nonprofit organization that has been celebrating the lives of older adults since 1983. Donations are accepted at 3303 Pines Village Circle, Valparaiso, IN 46383, and online. For more information, please call 219-465-1591 or visit our website at www.pinesvillage.org.