The Space to Succeed Scholarship Honors Iowa State Student as 2025 Winner

LE MARS, Iowa, Jan. 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Storage Center has named Iowa State University junior, Emma DeRuyter as one of three national winners of the 2025 Fall Space to Succeed Scholarship. Selected from thousands of applicants nationwide, DeRuyter was recognized for her exceptional commitment to community service and leadership through her charity organization, A Chance to Dance - Le Mars. She will receive a $5,000 scholarship, awarded directly to Iowa State University to support her studies in psychology and criminal justice.

DeRuyter's passion for service is rooted in a deep belief that strong communities play a critical role in shaping confidence, purpose and long-term success for young people who may not otherwise have access to extracurricular opportunities. Her work centers on providing meaningful outlets for growth beyond the classroom, helping children develop life skills that prepare them to become the leaders of tomorrow.

As a child, DeRuyter found dance to be a powerful outlet for managing her anxiety. That connection would later inspire her to turn personal healing into purposeful action. Motivated to expand access to the joy and benefits of dance, DeRuyter founded A Chance to Dance - Le Mars, a nonprofit organization that provides full-tuition dance scholarships, costumes and gently used dancewear to children with limited resources. To maximize efforts, DeRuyter continues to raise money through monetary donations from local businesses, fundraising campaigns and events. To date, she has raised $8,500 and collected over 300 used leotards and 100 pairs of dance shoes. In just three years, the program has grown to meet the needs of every student who has applied.

"Emma didn't just identify a need, she built a solution," said Robby Piper, Principal at The Storage Center. "Her initiative, discipline and community-first mindset reflects the values of the Space to Succeed Scholarship and the future impact we aim to support."

The program's mission goes beyond dance. By combining creativity, physical activity and social connection, A Chance to Dance helps children build accountability, perseverance, teamwork, confidence and resilience. Parents have shared stories of increased confidence, reduced anxiety and a renewed sense of joy in their children. These outcomes DeRuyter says are most visible when students take the stage at their first recital.

DeRuyter's academic and career goals align closely with her service work. She is studying psychology and criminal justice, with plans to pursue graduate studies and a career as a forensic psychologist. Through this path, she hopes to work alongside law enforcement and intelligence agencies to analyze criminal behavior, assess threats and help prevent future crime. She believes structured, positive activities like dance play a key role in reducing risk factors among youth and strengthening communities. Looking ahead, DeRuyter hopes to expand A Chance to Dance to reach neighboring communities.

To learn more about The Space to Succeed Scholarship or this year's recipients, visit thestoragecenter.com/self-storage/scholarship.

About The Storage Center
The Storage Center is an industry-leading owner and operator of over 55,000 storage units at over 70 self-storage facilities in six states. Headquartered in Baton Rouge, LA, the company has been constructing and operating high-quality, Class A storage facilities since 1986. The company offers customers a wide selection of conveniently located and secure storage units across the country, including climate-controlled storage, boat storage, RV storage and business storage units. Additional information regarding The Storage Center is available at thestoragecenter.com.

SOURCE The Storage Center