The Space to Succeed Scholarship Recognizes Houston-Area Student Attending Spelman College as 2025 Winner

KATY, Texas, Jan. 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Storage Center has named Spelman College senior Lauren Forney as one of three national winners of the 2025 Fall Space to Succeed Scholarship. Selected from thousands of applicants, Forney was recognized for her long-standing commitment to service youth mentorship and community leadership. She will receive a $5,000 scholarship, awarded directly to Spelman College to support her studies in health science.

Forney's dedication to service began at just nine years old, after a visit to a local food pantry highlighted the realities of food insecurity. Motivated to help, she organized her first canned food drive soon after, laying the groundwork for an annual initiative that has provided more than 32,000 donated items to families in need over 12 years.

Her commitment to service persisted even through personal hardship. Ahead of her tenth food drive, Forney experienced a major medical emergency that required hospitalization and physical therapy. Rather than pause her efforts, she adapted, coordinating the drive virtually and collecting nearly 600 items that year. The experience reinforced a defining leadership principle that continues to guide her work, to lift where you stand.

As her impact grew, Forney sought to empower others to serve. At age 12, she founded Lauren's Community Service Academy, a nonprofit that helps young people across Texas design and launch their own service projects. One of the organization's earliest initiatives, Serving Our Elders, evolved into the Warm Scarf Campaign, which has provided more than 800 scarves to senior citizens. Through the academy, Forney has mentored hundreds of students, encouraging them to lead with compassion and purpose in their own communities.

"Lauren demonstrates how empathy, when paired with action, can create powerful change and inspire others to do the same," said Robby Piper, Principal at The Storage Center. "Her leadership, vision and dedication to service align perfectly with the purpose of this scholarship."

Now a health science student at Spelman College, Forney continues to lead service initiatives while pursuing her goal of becoming a dermatologist focused on underserved communities. Last summer, she was selected to attend the American Academy of Dermatology's Career Prep Program in Washington, D.C., where she volunteered at a community health fair and witnessed firsthand the consequences of misinformation surrounding skin health in communities of color. The experience further clarified her commitment to combining medical care with education, advocacy and preventive health outreach.

As she continues her education, Forney plans to apply her health science education to expand community health initiatives, combat misinformation, and promote equitable access to care. With plans to pursue a Master of Public Health degree and attend medical school, she hopes to build a career that blends public health and medicine. Her long-term goal is to serve underserved communities as a physician, with a focus on fields such as dermatology or gynecology, where she can help reduce health disparities impacting women and communities of color.

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