Rising Leaders, Recognized:Celebrating Our 2026 Scholarship Recipients

This year marks a milestone for our scholarship programs as we celebrate the inaugural class of recipients whose brilliance, service, and vision exemplify what it means to lead with purpose. From the examination room to the evidence lab, these two extraordinary young women are charting paths that will leave a lasting mark on their communities and their fields.

Lauren Forney

Vineyard Icon Scholarship Winner  |  First-Ever Recipient

Some people discover a calling. Lauren Forney was born into one. At just twelve years old, she founded Lauren’s Community Service Academy — a youth-led initiative that has since distributed thousands of food items, warm scarves, and care packages to underserved communities while mentoring young people in leadership, civic engagement, and service learning. That early act of compassion set the tone for a life defined by impact.

Now a graduating senior Health Science major at Spelman College, Lauren is preparing to begin her post-baccalaureate studies at Agnes Scott College as she works toward her goal of becoming a physician. Her academic focus centers on dermatology, gynecology, and women’s health — with a particular commitment to breast cancer research, hair loss in African American women, and skin-related cancers. At the heart of her work is a determined focus on the structural factors that drive health disparities in marginalized communities.

Lauren has pursued her preparation for medicine with remarkable intentionality. She has shadowed physicians, completed internships at the Morehouse School of Medicine and Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and participated in dermatology outreach programs serving underserved populations. She has also brought a global lens to her studies, engaging in immersive experiences in Chile, where she examined structural barriers to healthcare access; in Italy, where she studied women in leadership and institutional gender representation; and most recently in Abu Dhabi, where she explored how innovation and sustainability are reshaping healthcare worldwide.

As the first-ever recipient of the Vineyard Icon Scholarship winner, Lauren carries with her not just an honor, but a legacy in the making. She is proof that the most enduring forms of leadership begin long before the degrees are earned — and that service, when rooted in love, has no finish line.

Kyla Long

Digital Culture Group Scholarship  |  2026 Recipient

Kyla Long knows exactly who she is and exactly where she is going. A first-generation college student and rising sophomore at Savannah State University, Kyla is majoring in Forensic Science with a concentration in Chemistry — a field she has chosen with clear-eyed intentionality and an unwavering sense of purpose. Carrying a 3.53 GPA and a Dean’s List distinction, she is building an academic record that reflects both her intellectual rigor and her commitment to excellence.

But Kyla’s impact doesn’t stop at the classroom door. On campus, she serves as Secretary of Active Minds and Event Coordinator for the Forensic Science Club, and is actively involved with Her Campus Savannah State and the National Society of Black Women in Medicine. Through these roles, she plans events, champions student well-being, and creates spaces where her peers can thrive. Originally from Cross Hill, South Carolina, she brings to college a small-town sense of community and a big-picture vision for what service can accomplish.

Her dedication extends well beyond the university as well. Kyla has volunteered with local schools, community clean-up initiatives, and events supporting families, children, and older adults — a reminder that for her, service is not a resume line but a way of life.

After graduation, Kyla plans to pursue a career as a forensic chemist, applying her chemistry expertise to support criminal investigations and contribute to the pursuit of justice. With her drive, her values, and her growing body of experience, she is already well on her way to making that vision a reality — and the Digital Culture Group Scholarship is proud to stand behind her on that journey.

Congratulations to Lauren and Kyla. We can’t wait to see what you build next.