Ohio’s first Vax-a-Million winners describe an unforgettable Wednesday night

COLUMBUS — Ohioans Abbigail Bugenske and Joseph Costello had a Wednesday night they'll never forget.

Bugenske, 22, was driving from Cincinnati to her parents' house in Cleveland to look at a used car when Gov. Mike DeWine called her, informing her she was Ohio's first Vax-a-Million winner.

"I still can't believe it," she said. "I had to make sure it wasn't a prank."

The Michigan State graduate is now getting her master's degree in aerospace engineering and works at General Electric Aviation. She still plans to buy a used car and said she'll donate some of her winnings.

"I'm probably going to invest most of it," she said.

Costello, 14, was informed he won a full-ride scholarship to college by DeWine's staffers in his driveway. the governor and his wife Fran later visited Costello's family home in Dayton.

His parents, Colleen and Rich, were informed first by phone.

"My first reaction was, I thought maybe it was a taped message," Colleen Costello said. "I was thankful there was a bench nearby. I needed to sit down."

"I thought we needed to create some excitement," DeWine said about devising the contest. It seems he did just that.

This story was originally published May 27, 2021 at 11:03 AM with the headline "Ohio’s first Vax-a-Million winners describe an unforgettable Wednesday night."