On Oct. 13 the College Advising Corps National Board of Directors named Cory Wegner the inaugural winner of the Peter T. Grauer True North Award for his service as a college adviser.

Wegner, a college adviser for TCU’s CAC, was nominated by his director, Matt Burckhalter, for his “dedication to the program” and his work with O.D. Wyatt High School in Fort Worth. Wegner helped more than half of the high school’s seniors submit their financial aid applications and more than one-third register for the SAT or ACT.

The award was created to recognize a second-year college adviser who has demonstrated “grace, humility, leadership, impact and the ability to make the entire Corps better.” In his first year working with O.D. Wyatt students, Wegner ensured that 212 of the 214 seniors applied to college.

Cory Wegner (Photo by Sharon Ellman)

Wegner, a graduate of O.D. Wyatt High School, earned a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from TCU in 2010. He is pursuing a master’s degree in liberal arts and plans to get a master’s degree in education to fulfill his dream of becoming the principal of O.D. Wyatt and, eventually, the superintendent of Fort Worth Independent School District.

The TCU CAC, part of the College of Education’s Center for Public Education, works in partnership with seven independent school districts and 24 high schools. By placing recent graduates as advisers in underserved schools, the Advising Corps provides the advising and encouragement that students need to navigate college admissions from searches to financial aid to enrollment.