Fishers’ own Reagan Kurcinka awarded $5,000 Indiana Donor Network Foundation scholarship

Four Indiana high school and college students have been awarded a combined $25,000 in educational scholarships for their 2026-27 academic years from Indiana Donor Network Foundation.

Among those students is Reagan Kurcinka of Fishers, who was awarded a $5,000 scholarship.

When she was 10, Reagan Kurcinka’s father died from cancer. She describes herself as a miniature version of her dad.

“We’d go to the library on the weekends. We’d watch football games together. He watched Scooby Doo with me every night,” she recalled. “Even when he was in the hospital undergoing treatment, I’d visit him all the time. The nurses knew me by name.”

As a young girl, Kurcinka’s dad instilled in her a strong sense of helping others. He taught her how to save money to buy food to donate at the family’s church every week. He taught her that blood donation saves lives. Through his death, she learned how powerful helping someone with gifts of life can be.

Kurcinka’s father was a cornea donor to restored sight to two people.

“There’s something poetic about knowing part of my dad exists in the world. His eyes are still out there, getting to see even more special moments then he did before he died,” she said. “Knowing this pushes me to leave the most positive impact everywhere I can. My dad is still a part of my life, living through me in the lessons and impact he left on me and those around him.”

About the Scholarship Fund

Indiana Donor Network Foundation established its scholarship fund in 2005 to provide educational scholarships for family members of Indiana residents who are organ and tissue donors, living donors, transplant recipients or people waiting for lifesaving transplants.

These scholarships were made possible due to the generosity of financial contributions made by Indiana Donor Network employees and supporters of Indiana Donor Network Foundation.

Each recipient has a personal connection to donation, either to someone whose life was saved when they received a transplant or to a loved one who became an organ and tissue donor. Scholarship winners often become advocates for donation by helping raise awareness and support in their communities.

Despite age or medical history, anyone can sign up to be a donor at DonateLifeIndiana.org. Learn more about Indiana Donor Network at this link.

Indiana Donor Network’s mission is to save and enhance the quality of life through organ and tissue donation and transplantation. Its vision is to be a leader in organ and tissue recovery. Founded in 1987, the organization coordinates donation in 85 of the state’s 92 counties and serves transplant hospitals throughout the U.S.