Wabash County community connects, empowers top local students

Wabash County, IN  – On Thursday, April 11, Grow Wabash County hosted its annual Honor Student Luncheon, connecting members of the community and the top academic students in Wabash County’s Class of 2024 over the topics of future plans and professional opportunities.

Neil Bever, owner of Hoosier Chiropractic, was the emcee for the event, sharing his experiences as a Wabash native who chose to start his practice in the same community he grew up in.

After lunch and conversation between students and professional mentors, representatives from the event’s Industry Sponsors, were invited onstage for a panel discussion and Q&A session where the speakers fielded questions from Bever and the students in the audience.

This year’s panel of speakers featured: Scott Dinkins from Ford Meter Box; Abby Van Vlerah from Manchester University; and Doug Selig from Parkview Wabash Hospital.  

During the Q&A panel, the speakers, none of whom were native to Wabash, talked about what originally brought them to Wabash County and the things that made them want to stay and build a life here.

They also offered advice and insight to the soon-to-be graduates about the incredible value they bring to the workforce as a generation that has been raised with technology and possess a collective passion to do good in the world. They encouraged them to hang onto those skills and values when they entered the workforce and to not be afraid to challenge the status quo.

In closing, Bever wished all of the students well as they prepare to graduate later this spring and encouraged them to keep their hometown in mind when it came to deciding where they wanted to lay down roots and grow their careers.

Grow Wabash County would like to thank all of the sponsors who made this event an impactful one for our students and local business community.

Industry Sponsors: Ford Meter Box Company; Manchester University; Parkview Wabash Hospital

Academic Sponsors: Besiege, LLC; Crossroads Bank; Edward Jones; Halderman Real Estate & Farm Management

Table Sponsors: Bachelor Creek Church of Christ; Beacon Credit Union; City of Wabash; Guenin Law Office; Honeywell Arts & Entertainment; Metal X; POET; Siders Premiere Properties, LLC;

Student Sponsors: Benson & Son LLC; Community Foundation of Wabash County; Douglas C Lehman, PC; First Farmers Bank & Trust; Gaunt & Son Asphalt; Intertech Products, Inc.; JoJo’s OlFactory & Co.; Kimberly’s Business by Design, LLC; Michael Barnett; Mindy Mayes; Modoc’s Market; MPS Egg Farms; MSD of Wabash County; Northwestern Mutual; NCI SHRM; Pettit Printing, Inc.; Robert J. Mattern, DDS; Terri Eckert School of Dance; Tim’s THAI 2 Go; Town of North Manchester; Wabash Hardware & Rental