Applications for the Beverley Turner Servant-Leader Award will be closing soon. The prize is given each year by the Volunteers for Mental Health in Montgomery County (VMHMC) in honor of the iconic Southmont teacher. She had also served as the president of the VMHMC for decades, championing a drive for volunteerism in the community.
To apply for the 2026 award, any high school student at Crawfordsville, North Montgomery, and Southmont who has successfully completed acts of service this year are encouraged to apply. Last year’s winner included Evelyn Zachary of Southmont; Olivia Pettit of Crawfordsville; and Owen Arthur of North Montgomery.
Zachary was a Southmont senior who graduated in 2025. During her high school career, she was very active in Southmont’s Family Community Career Leaders of America (FCCLA) chapter as its founder & president. She also participated in Southmont’s Bring Change to Mind; had served on a statewide teen tech team through 4-H; wrote as a freelance reporter for the Journal-Review; and was a 3-year student board member for the VMHMC. Evelyn is now majoring in Peace and Conflict Studies at DePauw University. She is also currently serving as a board member for the VMHMC.
Pettit was a 2025 Crawfordsville High School graduate. During her high school career, she was a drum major for its band program, and was a member of the color guard. She had performed in band for six years, having the opportunity to tour Europe in the summer of 2025 thanks to those experiences. She began serving as a VMHMC board member her senior year, which she currently serves today. Pettit now studies Psychology at Franklin College.
Arthur was the school winner for North Montgomery in 2025. Currently a senior, Arthur has served as a student council member; participates in Spell Bowl; and also balances extensive involvement in the high school’s theater department with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) and athletics.
County high school students interested in applying for the 2026 Beverley Turner Servant-Leader Award can do so by clicking or tapping here. The deadline is Friday, March 13. Winners will be selected by a blind-screening process. Each winner will be named at an awards presentation on Tuesday, May 12.
To learn more about the Volunteers for Mental Health in Montgomery County, click or tap here.
