The 2026 There’s Space for Everyone
Scholarship Winners
Learn more about the 2026 winners and how they plan to use their awards to further their educations.
Kailey Carranco
Freshman
What school do you attend?
North West Vista
What is your major?
Business Administration
What are your plans after school?
After earning my business degree, I plan to continue growing within Extra Space Storage by taking on greater leadership responsibilities and contributing at a higher level. I want to use what I’ve learned to improve operations, support my team, and make a positive impact.
What is your favorite subject in school?
My favorite subject is science because I enjoy learning how things work and discovering new ideas. It has taught me to think critically, solve problems, and stay curious about the world around me.
What are your hobbies?
I enjoy baking, gardening, and doing escape rooms. Baking is something I find relaxing and rewarding, gardening helps me slow down and stay grounded, and escape rooms are a fun way for me to challenge myself and think creatively.
Itai Hershko
Sophomore
What school do you attend?
Indiana University at Bloomington, Kelley School of Business
What is your major?
Double major in Finance & Accounting
What are your plans after school?
I am pursuing a career in finance, with a long-term goal of using business as a tool for inclusion. Through years of volunteer, I noticed a gap I care deeply about. When individuals with disabilities age out of certain support systems, many lose the chance to contribute their talents. I am building a social enterprise focused on creating sustainable employment pathways, meaning real opportunity rather than temporary charity.
What is your favorite subject in school?
My favorite subject is finance. I like that it combines problem solving and pattern recognition, and that the same analytical tools can be applied to problems that truly matter, such as building a business, designing a program, or creating opportunities for people who have been overlooked.
What are your hobbies?
Outside of class, I play soccer, listen to all types of music, and love to travel. I backpacked through six European countries with my brother. I also stay involved in community service, which has been one of the most rewarding parts of my life.
Calder Hodge
Junior
What school do you attend?
William Woods University
What is your major?
Sports Management with a minor in Communications
What are your plans after school?
After graduating, I would like to transition from playing football to working in a football organization to help mold players. I would also like to start a non-profit organization focused on helping local children who are amputees excel at sports of their choice.
What is your favorite subject in school?
I truly enjoy athletics, but I am also very interested in history.
What are your hobbies?
My hobbies are training and helping kids.
Julia Howe
Freshman
What school do you attend?
Yale University
What is your major?
Cognitive Science & Statistics
What are your plans after school?
I hope to become an education researcher or work in ed tech/nonprofits, creating programs that value and use language and the arts as essential tools for learning. I’ve also realized I’m happiest when I’m teaching, so someday I hope to lead a classroom of my own.
What is your favorite subject in school?
Ethics and philosophy, especially when they connect to fields like cognitive science. I love classes that push me to ask questions about how people learn and see the world, while helping me understand different perspectives and my own beliefs more clearly.
What are your hobbies?
I love running, swimming, and biking, and I’m a big triathlete. I would love to do an Ironman someday. I’ve also sung in choir for almost all my life, and I love watching all kinds of movies, especially “bad” ones. Recently, I saw the Backrooms movie in theaters.
Gustavo Nascimento
Senior
What school do you attend?
Brandeis University
What is your major?
Environmental Studies & Anthropology with minors in Latin American Studies & History
What are your plans after school?
My plan is to complete a one-year fellowship after graduation, and then go to graduate school. After that, I will try to work at the United Nations. And down the line, go back home to create an NGO there.
What is your favorite subject in school?
My favorite subject is Geography, and even though we don’t have classes with this specific title, what interests me is the fact that it combines knowledge from so many different disciplines into one. From statistics to social sciences, it brings a very complex and nuanced approach to the problems of the world that are just as complex.
What are your hobbies?
My hobbies include photography, playing sports, watching movies, reading and writing, leisurely walking, and birdwatching.
Maliek Patoir
Sophomore
What school do you attend?
Howard Community College
What is your major?
Psychology
What are your plans after school?
I’m planning to work as a behavioral technician for kids with special needs after graduation to get hands-on clinical experience. At the same time, I’m giving myself space to explore. I’ll be volunteering with a children’s crisis hotline and shadowing school psychologist to see whether I’m more drawn to technical counseling or school-based work. Long-term, I want to specialize in child and adolescent therapy.
What is your favorite subject in school?
History is my favorite because it’s the ultimate story. Full of drama, mistakes, and triumphs that explain exactly how we got here.
What are your hobbies?
My hobby is boxing. I love the sport for its physical chess that demands strategy, discipline, and guts, all while keeping you brutally honest with yourself. I also love hanging out with my family.
Shemai’ya Peak
Senior
What school do you attend?
The University of Alabama
What is your major?
Chemical Engineering with a concentration in Biological Engineering
What are your plans after school?
Following graduation, I plan to work as a research assistant for one year and prepare for the MCAT. I hope to matriculate into a medical scientist training program and fulfill my lifelong aspiration of becoming a physician that integrates science and medicine to improve patient outcomes.
What is/was your favorite subject in school?
Biomedical engineering is a topic I enjoy learning about in class. There are so many ways to integrate engineering principles within the clinical setting and combat some of the largest challenges in healthcare.
What are your hobbies?
Outside of school, I enjoy playing the piano and guitar, cooking vegan food, going on nature walks, hanging out with my sorority sisters, and exploring new places.
Emmanuela Yeboah
Freshman
What school do you attend?
Raritan Valley Community College
What is your major?
Occupational Therapy Assistant
What are your plans after school?
After taking the required exam, I plan on working at a hospital or health practitioners office where I can utilize my education to help patients. My main goal in the field is to be able to help patients physically get stronger so they can be as self-reliant as possible.
What is/was your favorite subject in school?
My favorite subject is calculus. There was something about the way my professor (Professor Ullman) explained it that made it manageable and fun.
What are your hobbies?
Recently, I have really loved exploring Manhattan, traveling throughout different states, and cooking meals I find online. These hobbies keep me grounded and calm.
THANK YOU TO ALL PARTICIPANTS!
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