Ohio's fifth and final Vax-a-Million winners were revealed Wednesday evening.During a highly-anticipated drawing, Ohio Lottery officials announced that the following individuals won Ohio's vaccine lottery -- the fourth of five total drawings:WINNING THE $1 MILLION PRIZE:Esperanza Diaz, Butler County WINNING THE FULL-RIDE SCHOLARSHIP:Sydney Daum, BrecksvilleWLWT will provide updates on the winners once we learn more. Below we've detailed each winner of Ohio's Vax-a-Million lottery, along with what each winner is saying about their experience.SUZANNE WARD; FINDLAY: Ohio's 4th $1 million winnerAn Ohio college professor has won the state's fourth Vax-a-Million $1 million jackpot.Suzanne Ward, of Findlay, was announced Wednesday as the second-to-last winner of the vaccine lottery, meant to incentivize COVID-19 vaccinations across the state.Ward works as a college professor at Findlay University, teaching several business classes.“I love my work, I love my students. It is wonderful being in higher education,” Ward said during a press briefing Thursday morning.Ward said she received several phone calls from an unknown number in the minutes leading up to Wednesday's 7:29 p.m. drawing. Those calls were from Gov. Mike DeWine, who was trying to inform her that she won.But Ward said she mistook them for a spam caller, opting not to answer.Moments later, there was a knock on her door. It was a man with a phone, information her the governor was on the other in.“It was just surreal,” Ward said of the experience.So what does Ward plan to do with her pre-taxed $1 million? There are no immediate plans for the money, she said.“Going to an accountant, a financial advisor – but (I'll spend it on) family. Some grandkids will have their college fund paid for,” she said.Ward said she was quick to get vaccinated as soon as she was able."I did not have any hesitation when my age group came up to get vaccinated. I think it was for the best thing to save lives, to get our economy back. I would encourage anybody to get vaccinated in the area I just think it's a smart thing to do from a health perspective," she said.SEAN HORNING, CINCINNATI: Ohio's fourth scholarship winnerA 2021 graduate from Colerain High School is the latest winner of the Ohio Vax-a-Million full-ride scholarship.Sean Horning's name was called during Wednesday evening's Vax-a-Million announcement.Sean Horning is a 17-year-old who will be turning 18 years old in just three days, so he barely made the cutoff to win, as winners of the scholarship had to be between 12 and 17 years old. The scholarship serves as an early birthday present to the teen from the state for getting his COVID-19 vaccine."It's just a blessing to me. I thank God for it," Sean Horning told WLWT. "It's just crazy to me. It could be anybody else that could have had this opportunity and I'm going to take advantage of it."Gov. Mike DeWine called Sean Horning's parents to tell them the news. Sean just got done playing baseball Wednesday when he received a call from his dad explaining he had won and that he needed to call the governor. The teen then FaceTimed the governor."He's a really nice guy," Sean Horning said about DeWine."My mom was jumping everywhere and like, so excited," Sean Horning said. "My dad was excited, too. Oh my God. It was just unbelievable."While at Colerain High School, Sean Horning played baseball. He also played club hockey for Cincinnati Swords.Sean Horning said now that he's won the full-ride scholarship, he's going to look into some bigger schools. As of now, he wants to pursue a sports-related career, particularly something to do with hockey, as that's his passion.Brian Horning, Sean Horning's dad, said he thought it was a joke at first."The whole time I was waiting for the end of the call to say it was a joke," Brian Horning said laughing.According to Brian Horning, the family was looking at colleges last year and the price was deterring their final decision in some ways, but he's glad Sean can now pick any Ohio college or university that he wants to go to."I'm glad that he won and he's vaccinated," Brian Horning said.Sean's mom, Lina Horning, is the one who signed Sean up for the Ohio Vax-a-Million."I was praying for Sean to have an opportunity like this and I know that something in my heart told me 'just go for it.' And I did," Lina Horning said.Lina Horning said the full-ride scholarship provides their family a lot of relief."This is just a blessing," she said.Below are the first six Ohio Vax-a-Million winners:MARK CLINE, OF RICHWOOD TOLEDO: Ohio's third $1 million winnerA 64-year-old retiree is Ohio's third $1 million Vax-a-Million winner.Mark Cline, of Richwood, was announced Wednesday as the third of five $1 million winners in Ohio's vaccine lottery.Cline said he didn't receive a phone call from Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, which has been customary during the first two drawings.Instead, Cline said the governor showed up at his doorstep to tell him -- in person -- that he was the latest winner in Ohio's vaccination incentive program.“We were watching the television, the doorbell rang, and my wife looked on the Ring cam and said ‘there’s some guys out there in suits,’” Cline said through a massive smile in an interview with WBNS.“I go to the door, I opened it up and I recognized Gov. DeWine standing out there," he said. “I shook his hand and he said, ‘Well, congratulations. You just won a million dollars.’”The 64-year-old said he and his wife invited the governor and First Lady Fran DeWine into their living room, where they all watched the television broadcast of the vaccine lottery together.Cline said he received his COVID-19 vaccine at the Union County Fair Ground long before the Vax-a-Million lottery was thought up. He said it's important for everyone to get their vaccine.“I think it’s really important to get that vaccine. Everyone that doubts it, it was no big deal – two little pinches and it was done," he said.Cline retired in 2016 after working for Marathon Petroleum for over 20 years. He moved from Findlay to Richwood to be closer to his children and grandchildren.As to what Cline has planned for the money? He said he has very few plans for himself, but he hopes to spend the money on his family and, perhaps, charitable causes.“My family is already making plans for a beach vacation. (I’ll use the money) to just help out family. I’m retired, so – you know – I’m not dying for money, but it certainly is a life-changer. It can help others who kind of need something,” he said.“I really love that they were giving scholarships as part of this. So I might do something to put some money toward scholarships for kids.”Cline said he has a rather large family and hopes to spend as much time with them as possible."I'm happy," he said. "I'm so happy!"Sara Afaneh, SHEFFIELD LAKE: Ohio's third scholarship winnerSara Afaneh, of Sheffield Lake, was announced as Ohio's third full-ride-scholarship winner in the Vax-a-Million program. That scholarship also includes room, board and books. However, winning a scholarship does not guarantee admission.The 13 going on 14-year-old said her mom was the one that told her she had won the scholarship lottery."It was very exciting, surreal for sure," Sara's mom, Summer, said in a press conference Thursday with DeWine.The youngest winner so far, Sara said while she's thought about going to college but hasn't really looked into a university or area of study.Her mother said while Sara's 17-year-old sister was a little envious, she told them that whatever helps Sara will help the whole family as well.Summer said more than anything, they were grateful to be eligible for the vaccine and for the opportunity to enter. She said her husband and father-in-law came down with COVID-19 and were very sick so they did not hesitate to get the vaccine when it came out."I'm a nurse, so I've seen the damage COVID has done," Summer said. "So for me, it was a no-brainer, as soon as they were eligible, we signed them up and took them in."More than 3.3 million Ohioans entered their names for a shot at the $1 million, up a little from the 3.2 million who had registered for last week’s drawing. More than 143,000 children entered their names for the scholarship, up from just over 133,000 last week.“There are only two more drawings left, so I urge Ohioans to get the shot and then enter for a shot to win a million dollars or, for those aged 12-17 a chance to a four-year, full-ride scholarship including room, board, tuition and books at an Ohio public college or university,” Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said.Wednesday's announcement comes as the initial bump from the incentive program fades and the vaccination numbers continue dropping.Initially, DeWine’s May 12 announcement of the incentive program had the desired effect, leading to a 43% boost in state vaccination numbers over the previous week.Ohio figures still are not close to the highs of March and April. And vaccine reluctance appears to be so great that on Monday, DeWine made an urgent appeal to providers to distribute as many shots of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine as possible, with 200,000 doses set to expire June 23.The two winners announced Wednesday are the fifth and sixth winners of the vaccination lottery. Meet the first four winners of Ohio's Vax-a-Million sweepstakes below.JONATHAN CARLYLE, OF TOLEDO: Ohio's second $1 million winnerAn Amazon delivery driver is Ohio's second $1 million Vax-a-Million winner.Jonathan Carlyle, of Toledo, is the second Ohioan to win the state's vaccination incentive grand prize.The state's newest millionaire is an Amazon delivery driver. Carlyle said he was just getting off work around 7 p.m. when he received a call from Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine."I actually missed the call," Carlyle said. "I was checking out from work and had to call him back. But I was shaking when I talked to him when I heard his voicemail -- I knew what it was and about lost it."The governor said he plans to make a habit of calling the state's Vax-a-Million winners ahead of each Wednesday's 7:29 p.m. drawing.“It’s overwhelming. I don’t know what to do. I’m still dreaming," Carlyle said of that call.The Toledo man said he doesn't have any big plans for his new money -- first pay off bills, then, perhaps, a house."I got a lot of bills to pay – so that’s the first thing that’s going to happen,” he said through a massive smile.“Pay some bills and probably buy a house. I’m going to keep working. My girlfriend is going to keep working – it’s going to be a good bedrock for our family. It’s going to be awesome.”Carlyle said the state's Vax-a-Million drawing actually inspired him to finally get the COVID-19 vaccine. After winning $1 million, he said it was well worth it."Get vaccinated! Do it! We need to!" he said.ZOIE VINCENT, MAYFIELD VILLAGE: Ohio's second scholarship winnerOhio's second winner of the Vax-a-Million scholarship said she wasn't expecting the call after signing up for the lottery while waiting to receive her second dose of the vaccine.Zoie Vincent was announced as Ohio's full-ride scholarship winner. Vincent was out of town at the time of the drawing but found out about her luck via a FaceTime call from the governor."So you made a call to my dad and it was just kind of ... weird and he just kept saying your name and I was like, 'What's happening?' And he said I won the scholarship," Vincent said."It was really wild. It came out of nowhere. We weren't expecting it. It was a super big surprise. We were all so excited."Vincent said she is interested in pursuing a career in medicine, specifically pre-med or a biology program. She said she has been looking at schools such as Ohio State University and Case Western Reserve University."I have been interested in medicine and science for as long as I can remember," Vincent said.She said she has completed one year as a med tech at school and it helped solidify her passion for science. She said the scholarship will help her focus on her education in medicine and not student loans."I could see my career instead of me paying off my debt so it was a big relief in that sense," Vincent said.Vincent said she did not hesitate once she was eligible for the vaccine, saying she got COVID-19 a while back and was very sick and wants to do what she can to prevent that from happening to others.ABBIGAIL BUGENSKE, SILVERTON: Ohio's first $1 million winnerAbbigail Bugenske has won Ohio's first $1 million jackpot in the state's Vax-a-Million lottery.A recent college graduate, the 22-year-old Bugenske lives in the Cincinnati area, residing in the small and quiet village of Silverton about 11 miles northeast of the city.She works for GE Aviation, recently moving to the area for her job.She's also an Ohio State University student pursuing a master's in aerospace engineering and graduated from Michigan State University in August of last year.Speaking to the press for the first time, Bugenske said she has no plans to quit her current job — a job she loves — and plans to donate at least some of her winnings to charity.“I was completely surprised when I got the call. I still can’t believe it. It was a crazy night," the 22-year-old said.Bugenske received a personal call from Gov. Mike DeWine, shortly before the state's 7:29 p.m. drawing.“Calling someone and telling them that they won a million dollars is a great thing," the governor said through a large smile, remembering Bugenske's reaction.She was driving from the Cincinnati area to her parents' house in the Cleveland area, a bit oblivious that the drawing was currently happening.“I was screaming enough that my parents thought I was crying and that something was wrong," she said. "And when I started yelling that I won $1 million and was going to be a millionaire, they told me to calm down and make sure it wasn’t a prank before I really started freaking out.”The call was, in fact, real. Bugenske said her phone began to blow up with notes from friends and social media friend requests.The 22-year-old said she received the COVID-19 vaccine long before the birth of the Vax-a-Million program, but added that if winning $1 million isn't an incentive enough, she doesn't know what is.“I originally got vaccinated just to protect friends, family and everyone I came in contact with,” she said, adding that Vax-a-Million win was just a bonus.JOSEPH COSTELLO, ENGLEWOOD: Ohio's first scholarship winnerHe’s only 14, but can attend almost any college he wishes.Joseph Costello, of Englewood, was announced as Ohio's first Vax-a-Million scholarship winner, awarded a full-ride scholarship at only 14 years old.His mother is a chemical engineer and his father is a school teacher. But neither of them will need to figure out how to pay for Joseph's college.“My first reaction was I thought maybe I was listening to your voice -- that it was a taped message," mother Colleen Costello told Ohio Gov. Mike Dewine. "The more we talked, the more I realized it was really live. I was really thankful that moment because there was a bench nearby. I needed to sit down and sort of ... ground myself a little to absorb the information you were sharing.”Joseph had just finished the eighth grade. He just received his first shot on Saturday ahead of Wednesday evening's drawing.His mother entered Joseph and her two other children in the lottery.Now, he gets free college tuition. That scholarship also includes room, board and books. However, winning a scholarship does not guarantee admission.In a big update, DeWine announced that the state will put money into a 529 Plan for the winner. The amount of money put in will be equal to the highest Ohio state university cost. That way, the winner can still go to a college of his or her choosing.Joseph said he's still unsure what he wants to study, or which university he wishes to attend. But the 14-year-old still has time to think about that.
Ohio's fifth and final Vax-a-Million winners were revealed Wednesday evening.
During a highly-anticipated drawing, Ohio Lottery officials announced that the following individuals won Ohio's vaccine lottery -- the fourth of five total drawings:
WINNING THE $1 MILLION PRIZE:
Esperanza Diaz, Butler County
WINNING THE FULL-RIDE SCHOLARSHIP:
Sydney Daum, Brecksville
WLWT will provide updates on the winners once we learn more.
Below we've detailed each winner of Ohio's Vax-a-Million lottery, along with what each winner is saying about their experience.
SUZANNE WARD; FINDLAY: Ohio's 4th $1 million winner
An Ohio college professor has won the state's fourth Vax-a-Million $1 million jackpot.
Suzanne Ward, of Findlay, was announced Wednesday as the second-to-last winner of the vaccine lottery, meant to incentivize COVID-19 vaccinations across the state.
Ward works as a college professor at Findlay University, teaching several business classes.
“I love my work, I love my students. It is wonderful being in higher education,” Ward said during a press briefing Thursday morning.
Ward said she received several phone calls from an unknown number in the minutes leading up to Wednesday's 7:29 p.m. drawing. Those calls were from Gov. Mike DeWine, who was trying to inform her that she won.
But Ward said she mistook them for a spam caller, opting not to answer.
Moments later, there was a knock on her door. It was a man with a phone, information her the governor was on the other in.
“It was just surreal,” Ward said of the experience.
So what does Ward plan to do with her pre-taxed $1 million? There are no immediate plans for the money, she said.
“Going to an accountant, a financial advisor – but (I'll spend it on) family. Some grandkids will have their college fund paid for,” she said.
Ward said she was quick to get vaccinated as soon as she was able.
"I did not have any hesitation when my age group came up to get vaccinated. I think it was for the best thing to save lives, to get our economy back. I would encourage anybody to get vaccinated in the area I just think it's a smart thing to do from a health perspective," she said.
SEAN HORNING, CINCINNATI: Ohio's fourth scholarship winner
A 2021 graduate from Colerain High School is the latest winner of the Ohio Vax-a-Million full-ride scholarship.
Sean Horning's name was called during Wednesday evening's Vax-a-Million announcement.
Sean Horning is a 17-year-old who will be turning 18 years old in just three days, so he barely made the cutoff to win, as winners of the scholarship had to be between 12 and 17 years old. The scholarship serves as an early birthday present to the teen from the state for getting his COVID-19 vaccine.
"It's just a blessing to me. I thank God for it," Sean Horning told WLWT. "It's just crazy to me. It could be anybody else that could have had this opportunity and I'm going to take advantage of it."
Gov. Mike DeWine called Sean Horning's parents to tell them the news. Sean just got done playing baseball Wednesday when he received a call from his dad explaining he had won and that he needed to call the governor. The teen then FaceTimed the governor.
"He's a really nice guy," Sean Horning said about DeWine.
"My mom was jumping everywhere and like, so excited," Sean Horning said. "My dad was excited, too. Oh my God. It was just unbelievable."
While at Colerain High School, Sean Horning played baseball. He also played club hockey for Cincinnati Swords.
Sean Horning said now that he's won the full-ride scholarship, he's going to look into some bigger schools. As of now, he wants to pursue a sports-related career, particularly something to do with hockey, as that's his passion.
Brian Horning, Sean Horning's dad, said he thought it was a joke at first.
"The whole time I was waiting for the end of the call to say it was a joke," Brian Horning said laughing.
According to Brian Horning, the family was looking at colleges last year and the price was deterring their final decision in some ways, but he's glad Sean can now pick any Ohio college or university that he wants to go to.
"I'm glad that he won and he's vaccinated," Brian Horning said.
Sean's mom, Lina Horning, is the one who signed Sean up for the Ohio Vax-a-Million.
"I was praying for Sean to have an opportunity like this and I know that something in my heart told me 'just go for it.' And I did," Lina Horning said.
Lina Horning said the full-ride scholarship provides their family a lot of relief.
"This is just a blessing," she said.
Below are the first six Ohio Vax-a-Million winners:
MARK CLINE, OF RICHWOOD TOLEDO: Ohio's third $1 million winner
A 64-year-old retiree is Ohio's third $1 million Vax-a-Million winner.
Mark Cline, of Richwood, was announced Wednesday as the third of five $1 million winners in Ohio's vaccine lottery.
Cline said he didn't receive a phone call from Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, which has been customary during the first two drawings.
Instead, Cline said the governor showed up at his doorstep to tell him -- in person -- that he was the latest winner in Ohio's vaccination incentive program.
“We were watching the television, the doorbell rang, and my wife looked on the Ring cam and said ‘there’s some guys out there in suits,’” Cline said through a massive smile in an interview with WBNS.
“I go to the door, I opened it up and I recognized Gov. DeWine standing out there," he said. “I shook his hand and he said, ‘Well, congratulations. You just won a million dollars.’”
The 64-year-old said he and his wife invited the governor and First Lady Fran DeWine into their living room, where they all watched the television broadcast of the vaccine lottery together.
Cline said he received his COVID-19 vaccine at the Union County Fair Ground long before the Vax-a-Million lottery was thought up. He said it's important for everyone to get their vaccine.
“I think it’s really important to get that vaccine. Everyone that doubts it, it was no big deal – two little pinches and it was done," he said.
Cline retired in 2016 after working for Marathon Petroleum for over 20 years. He moved from Findlay to Richwood to be closer to his children and grandchildren.
As to what Cline has planned for the money? He said he has very few plans for himself, but he hopes to spend the money on his family and, perhaps, charitable causes.
“My family is already making plans for a beach vacation. (I’ll use the money) to just help out family. I’m retired, so – you know – I’m not dying for money, but it certainly is a life-changer. It can help others who kind of need something,” he said.
“I really love that they were giving scholarships as part of this. So I might do something to put some money toward scholarships for kids.”
Cline said he has a rather large family and hopes to spend as much time with them as possible.
"I'm happy," he said. "I'm so happy!"
Sara Afaneh, SHEFFIELD LAKE: Ohio's third scholarship winner
Sara Afaneh, of Sheffield Lake, was announced as Ohio's third full-ride-scholarship winner in the Vax-a-Million program. That scholarship also includes room, board and books. However, winning a scholarship does not guarantee admission.
The 13 going on 14-year-old said her mom was the one that told her she had won the scholarship lottery.
"It was very exciting, surreal for sure," Sara's mom, Summer, said in a press conference Thursday with DeWine.
The youngest winner so far, Sara said while she's thought about going to college but hasn't really looked into a university or area of study.
Her mother said while Sara's 17-year-old sister was a little envious, she told them that whatever helps Sara will help the whole family as well.
Summer said more than anything, they were grateful to be eligible for the vaccine and for the opportunity to enter. She said her husband and father-in-law came down with COVID-19 and were very sick so they did not hesitate to get the vaccine when it came out.
"I'm a nurse, so I've seen the damage COVID has done," Summer said. "So for me, it was a no-brainer, as soon as they were eligible, we signed them up and took them in."
More than 3.3 million Ohioans entered their names for a shot at the $1 million, up a little from the 3.2 million who had registered for last week’s drawing. More than 143,000 children entered their names for the scholarship, up from just over 133,000 last week.
“There are only two more drawings left, so I urge Ohioans to get the shot and then enter for a shot to win a million dollars or, for those aged 12-17 a chance to a four-year, full-ride scholarship including room, board, tuition and books at an Ohio public college or university,” Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said.
Wednesday's announcement comes as the initial bump from the incentive program fades and the vaccination numbers continue dropping.
Initially, DeWine’s May 12 announcement of the incentive program had the desired effect, leading to a 43% boost in state vaccination numbers over the previous week.
Ohio figures still are not close to the highs of March and April. And vaccine reluctance appears to be so great that on Monday, DeWine made an urgent appeal to providers to distribute as many shots of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine as possible, with 200,000 doses set to expire June 23.
The two winners announced Wednesday are the fifth and sixth winners of the vaccination lottery. Meet the first four winners of Ohio's Vax-a-Million sweepstakes below.
JONATHAN CARLYLE, OF TOLEDO: Ohio's second $1 million winner
An Amazon delivery driver is Ohio's second $1 million Vax-a-Million winner.
Jonathan Carlyle, of Toledo, is the second Ohioan to win the state's vaccination incentive grand prize.
The state's newest millionaire is an Amazon delivery driver. Carlyle said he was just getting off work around 7 p.m. when he received a call from Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine.
"I actually missed the call," Carlyle said. "I was checking out from work and had to call him back. But I was shaking when I talked to him when I heard his voicemail -- I knew what it was and about lost it."
The governor said he plans to make a habit of calling the state's Vax-a-Million winners ahead of each Wednesday's 7:29 p.m. drawing.
“It’s overwhelming. I don’t know what to do. I’m still dreaming," Carlyle said of that call.
The Toledo man said he doesn't have any big plans for his new money -- first pay off bills, then, perhaps, a house.
"I got a lot of bills to pay – so that’s the first thing that’s going to happen,” he said through a massive smile.
“Pay some bills and probably buy a house. I’m going to keep working. My girlfriend is going to keep working – it’s going to be a good bedrock for our family. It’s going to be awesome.”
Carlyle said the state's Vax-a-Million drawing actually inspired him to finally get the COVID-19 vaccine. After winning $1 million, he said it was well worth it.
"Get vaccinated! Do it! We need to!" he said.
ZOIE VINCENT, MAYFIELD VILLAGE: Ohio's second scholarship winner
Ohio's second winner of the Vax-a-Million scholarship said she wasn't expecting the call after signing up for the lottery while waiting to receive her second dose of the vaccine.
Zoie Vincent was announced as Ohio's full-ride scholarship winner. Vincent was out of town at the time of the drawing but found out about her luck via a FaceTime call from the governor.
"So you made a call to my dad and it was just kind of ... weird and he just kept saying your name and I was like, 'What's happening?' And he said I won the scholarship," Vincent said.
"It was really wild. It came out of nowhere. We weren't expecting it. It was a super big surprise. We were all so excited."
Vincent said she is interested in pursuing a career in medicine, specifically pre-med or a biology program. She said she has been looking at schools such as Ohio State University and Case Western Reserve University.
"I have been interested in medicine and science for as long as I can remember," Vincent said.
She said she has completed one year as a med tech at school and it helped solidify her passion for science. She said the scholarship will help her focus on her education in medicine and not student loans.
"I could see my career instead of me paying off my debt so it was a big relief in that sense," Vincent said.
Vincent said she did not hesitate once she was eligible for the vaccine, saying she got COVID-19 a while back and was very sick and wants to do what she can to prevent that from happening to others.
ABBIGAIL BUGENSKE, SILVERTON: Ohio's first $1 million winner
Abbigail Bugenske has won Ohio's first $1 million jackpot in the state's Vax-a-Million lottery.
A recent college graduate, the 22-year-old Bugenske lives in the Cincinnati area, residing in the small and quiet village of Silverton about 11 miles northeast of the city.
She works for GE Aviation, recently moving to the area for her job.
She's also an Ohio State University student pursuing a master's in aerospace engineering and graduated from Michigan State University in August of last year.
Speaking to the press for the first time, Bugenske said she has no plans to quit her current job — a job she loves — and plans to donate at least some of her winnings to charity.
“I was completely surprised when I got the call. I still can’t believe it. It was a crazy night," the 22-year-old said.
Bugenske received a personal call from Gov. Mike DeWine, shortly before the state's 7:29 p.m. drawing.
“Calling someone and telling them that they won a million dollars is a great thing," the governor said through a large smile, remembering Bugenske's reaction.
She was driving from the Cincinnati area to her parents' house in the Cleveland area, a bit oblivious that the drawing was currently happening.
“I was screaming enough that my parents thought I was crying and that something was wrong," she said. "And when I started yelling that I won $1 million and was going to be a millionaire, they told me to calm down and make sure it wasn’t a prank before I really started freaking out.”
The call was, in fact, real. Bugenske said her phone began to blow up with notes from friends and social media friend requests.
The 22-year-old said she received the COVID-19 vaccine long before the birth of the Vax-a-Million program, but added that if winning $1 million isn't an incentive enough, she doesn't know what is.
“I originally got vaccinated just to protect friends, family and everyone I came in contact with,” she said, adding that Vax-a-Million win was just a bonus.
JOSEPH COSTELLO, ENGLEWOOD: Ohio's first scholarship winner
He’s only 14, but can attend almost any college he wishes.
Joseph Costello, of Englewood, was announced as Ohio's first Vax-a-Million scholarship winner, awarded a full-ride scholarship at only 14 years old.
His mother is a chemical engineer and his father is a school teacher. But neither of them will need to figure out how to pay for Joseph's college.
“My first reaction was I thought maybe I was listening to your voice -- that it was a taped message," mother Colleen Costello told Ohio Gov. Mike Dewine. "The more we talked, the more I realized it was really live. I was really thankful that moment because there was a bench nearby. I needed to sit down and sort of ... ground myself a little to absorb the information you were sharing.”
Joseph had just finished the eighth grade. He just received his first shot on Saturday ahead of Wednesday evening's drawing.
His mother entered Joseph and her two other children in the lottery.
Now, he gets free college tuition. That scholarship also includes room, board and books. However, winning a scholarship does not guarantee admission.
In a big update, DeWine announced that the state will put money into a 529 Plan for the winner. The amount of money put in will be equal to the highest Ohio state university cost. That way, the winner can still go to a college of his or her choosing.
Joseph said he's still unsure what he wants to study, or which university he wishes to attend. But the 14-year-old still has time to think about that.
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