The Storage Center Announces Scholarship Winners

Posted by MSM on Jan 18, 2026 11:08:51 AM
The Storage Center, which operates a network of over 60 state-of-the-art self-storage facilities spanning the United States, has announced their three Fall 2025 Space to Succeed Scholarship winners. The Space to Succeed Scholarship awards three $5,000 scholarships twice a year to students turning service into measurable community impact. The three winners were selected from applicants nationwide for their leadership, initiative and commitment to service.
 
BrantleyAnthony Brantley is a finance student at Ohio State University and the founder of Freedom Through Finance, a community-based organization focused on expanding financial literacy for underserved families. Brantley's passion for financial literacy was shaped early in life through adversity.
 
Following a critical medical diagnosis in his family, Brantley became inspired by his belief that financial literacy can be a powerful tool for navigating life's challenges. Since 2024, Brantley has helped more than 80 families across Atlanta and Columbus, Ohio through budgeting support, financial education workshops, and youth-focused programs. He has alsotrained 23 high-school students to teach financial fundamentals to 575 elementary students, equipping the next generation with essential money skills and creating a strong foundation for a financially healthy adulthood. 
 
DeRuyterEmma DeRuyter is a psychology and criminal justice student at Iowa State University and the founder of A Chance to Dance – Le Mars, a charitable organization that provides full-tuition dance scholarships, costumes, and dancewear to children from families with limited resources. In just three years, the program has raised more than $8,500, collected hundreds of donated dance items, and ensured that every child who applied was enrolled. 
 
DeRuyter 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.
 
ForneyLauren Forney is a health-science student at Spelman College and a Katy, Texas, native whose commitment to service began at age nine with her first canned-food drive. This laid the groundwork for an annual initiative that has provided more than 32,000 donated items to families in need over 12 years.
 
At just 12 years old, she founded Lauren’s Community Service Academy, a nonprofit that helps young people across Texas launch their own service initiatives. One of the organization's earliest initiatives, Serving Our Elders, created the Warm Scarf Campaign, providing 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. Following college, Lauren plans to focus on a career in medicine assisting underserved communities. She believes in the importance of combining medical care with education, advocacy and preventive health outreach, particularly in communities of color.
 
Together, these students reflect a new wave of young leaders translating personal conviction into real, measurable change in their communities, a principle at the heart of the Space to Succeed Scholarship.