Latest Scholarship Recipients

2025

Francie Butts 

4284 Laurel Glen Ct. 

Douglasville, GA 30135

My name is Francie Butts! I am so honored to be a 2025 GAEP scholarship recipient. I am currently a junior at the University of Georgia, majoring in Fisheries Management and minoring in Forestry. After college, I hope to work as a fisheries biologist for a state or federal agency like the Department of Natural Resources or U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. I would love to do research on migratory fish or on the effects of watershed composition and forest health on water quality!!

2025

Lauren Forney   

20706 Castle Bend Drive

Katy, Texas 77450

Lauren Forney is a Health Science major at Spelman College and a passionate advocate for women’s health, healthcare technology, and environmental stewardship.

She has completed internships at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, where she continued her research in breast cancer and explored leadership in healthcare; MobilizeGreen, deepening her commitment to sustainable practices and public health; and Morehouse School of Medicine, where she focused on health equity initiatives.

Lauren’s dedication to service and innovation earned her a spot in the American Academy of Dermatology Career Prep Program, where she volunteered at the Learn2Derm Community Fair in Washington, DC. She was later recognized as “A Life Skin Changer” by La Roche-Posay and received the New Face of Tech award for her ideas to expand healthcare access through technology.

At 12, she founded her own nonprofit to raise the next generation of servant leaders, contributing over 800 hours of service. At Spelman College, she serves as a Study Group Leader for incoming students, co-assistant director for Spelman Protégé, and Collegiate 100 member. She actively volunteers with the Atlanta Community Food Bank and Breaking the Cycle Organization and has also served as an Ambassador for Keep Texas Beautiful. Her leadership has been recognized by two U.S. Presidents and the Texas Board of Education as Student Hero of the Year.

Aspiring to become a dermatologist, Lauren leverages healthcare technology and environmental insights to improve equity and accessibility in underserved communities.