Honoring Dr. Ackerman’s Legacy Through Animal Care Scholarships | Fort Wayne News

Fort Wayne News Today | 2 Min News | The Daily News Now! · Jul 9, 2026 · 1m

Three standout high school grads—Tessa Chesney-Jordan, Ruby Campbell-Carpenter, and Jillian Wright—are this year’s recipients of the Lawrence A. Ackerman Scholarship at the Fort Wayne Zoo, a program honoring Dr. Larry Ackerman’s 30-year legacy as a compassionate vet who believed in giving back. Each student is pursuing animal-focused careers at Purdue or Purdue University Fort Wayne, and the scholarship—funded by an endowment and public donations—supports their education while keeping Dr. Ackerman’s spirit of service alive. His son, David, praised the students’ dedication and the program’s…