Centerville Senior High School senior Eva Soper thought she had just lost Wayne County’s top Every Day Counts prize as the final ping-pong balls were drawn May 6.
Seeing what she believed was fellow finalist Kaden Ervin’s number, Soper prepared to congratulate the Hagerstown senior before realizing she had misread the ball. Moments later, she learned she had won the program’s top prize: a choice between a $24,500 scholarship package or a new Honda Civic LX.
Although Soper initially said she planned to choose the scholarship, the decision became more difficult after sitting in the car and posing for photos following the drawing at First Bank Expo Hall on the Wayne County Fairgrounds.
“The entire time, it was never possible in my head that I’d get it,” Soper said.
Ervin received the second-place prize, a $2,500 check from Dot Foods. Other finalists receiving $500 Best Buy gift cards were Hagerstown’s Abby Lumpkin, Centerville’s Aiden Nelson, Seton Catholic’s Elizabeth Daoud and Northeastern’s Aubrey Mainous.
The Wayne County Area Chamber of Commerce has organized the Every Day Counts attendance incentive program since 2009. This year, 208 businesses and colleges contributed more than $447,000 in scholarships and prizes for 129 graduating seniors from Wayne County’s six high schools.
Every qualifying senior received a prize worth at least $50, ranging from electronics and appliances to gift cards and backpacks. Students also each received $1,000 scholarships from Ivy Tech Community College, Indiana University East and Earlham College.
Soper plans to attend Ball State University to study art history and pursue a career restoring artwork for museums, an interest she said began in eighth grade.
Her mother, Hannah Abrams, said she was excited to see her daughter recognized.
“She’s a really great kid, and I’m really happy for her,” Abrams said.
Students qualified for the celebration by maintaining at least 97% attendance and having no more than two tardies per semester. Organizers said the initiative is designed to encourage habits such as punctuality, accountability and dependability.
The program also rewards younger students countywide. This year, 504 elementary students qualified for scooter drawings, while 206 middle school students became eligible for electric scooter prizes. Another 408 students in grades 9-11 could win Cincinnati Reds tickets.
Major sponsors included First Bank Richmond, Wetzel Auto, Dot Foods, Ahaus Tool & Engineering, Richmond Power & Light and Duncan Media.
Every Day Counts honorees
These 129 seniors from Wayne County’s six high schools were honored for excellent 2025-2026 attendance:
Centerville: Gavin Abbey, Julian Armstead, Boston Beatty, Lilah Bellew, Andrew Brock, Emma Bullock, Owen Burdette, Tate Chasteen, Troy Cole, Elizabeth Cox, Cohen Current, Taylor Feaster, Carson Hathaway, Alivia Hicks, Shea Hollendonner, Dawson Huber, Baylei Hughes, Abram Jarvis, Adanech Jarvis, Landyn Keiser, Nicholas Kenny, Josie Kincaid, Taylor Lickfelt, Logan Mann, Tabatha Moore, Micahia Mullen, Aiden Nelson, Elizabeth Nevels, Evan Noe, John Norris, Keith Plyley, Eva Soper, Ava Spears, Kendall Spears, Cameron Stiggleman, Lily Thompson, Matthew Warner, Eli West, Kyson Wright
Hagerstown: Leyton Berger, Evan Bowlin, Ethan Bymaster, Davin Chew, Darien Combes, Carlie Cushing, Greydee DeGuira, Kaden Ervin, Orion Houghton, Matthew Laster, Abby Lumpkin, Zak McDonald, Wyatt Mitchell, Sidney Nicholson, Taylor Patterson, Halle Pruitt, Jameson Ramey, Isaac Schmitz, Olivia Smith, Dezirae Study
Lincoln: Ben Bates, Ian Bates, Daniel Bogue, Allison Clayton, Braxton Dick, Justin Driskill, Braydon Hampton, Shelby Houseworth, Dustin Lunsford, Olivia Myers, James Ramsey and Grace Smith
Northeastern: Carson Abney, Brooklynne Adams, Ava Bales, Julia Beatty, Brandt Benjamin, Aiden Brinker, Jacob Buchs, Lucas Chamness, Brayden Chapman, Cooper Cline, Dalton Clouse, Aubrey Day, Riley Day, Cameron Gipson, Haven Handley, Landen Heaston, Riley Isaacs, Gavin Johnson, Paige Keith, Adysson Kircher, Greyson Longnecker, Aubrey Mainous, Sarah May, Dakota May, Gavin Melton, Kaleb Moore, Rory Mull, Greyson Pennington, Chloe Peters, Charlotte Rayburn, David Reneau, Austin Robles, Logan Seal, Aiden Shaffer, Nicole Sheets, Cooper Smith, Charlotte Stofferahn, Caleb Ward, Alaina Webster, Cody Wright, Addisyn Wright
Richmond: Dominique Dominguez, Anthony Fioto, Katie Mathena, Reagan Phillips, Angel Cruz-Hernandez, Teegan Baker, Celina Cheng, David Lewis, Jacob Lindahl, Gabriel Reece, Fernanda Ruiz-Fernandez, Anabella Triana, Vanessa Vance, Brayden Villafuerte
Seton Catholic: Elizabeth Daoud, Carina Feliciano, Makayla Minor
Additional winners
Bringing band and Damsels members to perform, Northeastern High School won the event’s spirit trophy for the fourth year.
Jamie Claywell, Hagerstown High School’s assistant principal, beat Sam Pritchard, Richmond Community Schools’ assistant superintendent of secondary education, in the administrator scooter race.
A version of this article will appear in the May 13 2026 print edition of the Western Wayne News.