It was only $50, but Brian Schmutzler used it at the Foundation for ongoing impact.
When he graduated from Zionsville High School in 2000, Brian received a Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship, which came with an additional award of $50 that the scholarship winner could give to the charity of his or her choice.
Using that gift as inspiration – and seed money – Brian raised $5,000 to start his own scholarship fund in memory of a friend who had passed away. Now the Ben Brimmer Scholarship Fund each year awards a scholarship to a Zionsville student who is employed in Zionsville and plans to pursue a degree in art or graphic design.
“Being a Lilly Scholar was a great experience and very humbling,” Brian says, adding that the opportunity to start the Brimmer Fund set him on the path to doing more. In addition to receiving a degree from the University of Notre Dame and going to the IU School of Medicine, Brian has continued his charitable ways, getting involved in community and fundraising events at every opportunity.
And, even though he’s been busy as a medical student and resident, Brian has continued to be directly involved with the Community Foundation and the scholarship fund, serving on the selection committee and usually presenting the award to the recipient – and repeatedly demonstrating the lasting impact even the smallest gift can have.