Fort Financial Announces 2026 Scholarship Program Recipients
Austen McGlothlin, Emma Vachon, Taya Turner and Zoey Kingsolve selected as recipients of the 2026 Fort Financial Scholarship Program.
Taya is a 2026 graduate of Snider High School, where she ranked eighth in a class of 439 students and earned a 4.89 grade-point average. She served as president of both the National Honor Society and Hispanic Honor Society, completed more than 200 service hours and participated in varsity soccer, theater, student council and Snider Travels. She also earned the Indiana Seal of Biliteracy after completing four years of Spanish studies.
This fall, Taya plans to attend Eckerd College (FL) and pursue a degree in Marine Biology, with a particular interest in shark conservation and marine ecosystems. She hopes to build a career in conservation, research and education while helping others better understand the important role sharks play in maintaining healthy oceans.
Zoey is a 2025 Bishop Dwenger High School graduate and a rising sophomore at Clemson University, where she is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering. After completing her undergraduate studies, she plans to pursue a master’s degree and build a career that allows her to combine her interests in mathematics, engineering and hands-on problem-solving.
At Clemson, Zoey earned a place on the President’s List during her first semester. Her dedication to serving others has also remained an important part of her development. Through experiences teaching young volleyball players and working as a sports camp counselor at the Fort Wayne YMCA, she has strengthened the communication, teamwork and leadership skills she hopes to carry into her future engineering career.
Emma is a 2026 graduate of Norwell High School, where she ranked fifth in a class of 196 students and earned a 4.59 grade-point average. She was recognized on the Distinction and President’s Lists and participated in the National Honor Society, Riley Dance Marathon and volleyball. As a two-time varsity captain, Emma earned several athletic and academic honors, including First Team All-Conference, Academic All-State and the Varsity Leadership Award.
Emma will continue her academic and athletic career at Aurora University (IL), where she plans to study psychology and play volleyball. Her long-term goal is to earn advanced degrees and practice sport psychology, helping young athletes build confidence, manage anxiety and prepare for success both in competition and throughout their lives.
Austen is a 2026 graduate of Central Noble High School and will attend Purdue University to study Theatre and Creative Writing. She graduated in the top 10 of her class with an Academic Honors Diploma and received numerous recognitions for her work in theater, music and athletics. Her accomplishments include earning Central Noble Theatre Company’s Best Actress award in both 2025 and 2026, serving as a varsity captain on the basketball team and receiving several Indiana State School Music Association honors.
Throughout high school, Austen participated in theater, musical theater, basketball, volleyball, jazz band, choir, piano and vocal performance. After college, she hopes to pursue acting professionally while also writing scripts for the stage and screen. Austen credits her experience portraying Cinderella during her senior year with renewing her confidence and encouraging her to turn her lifelong passion for performing into a career.
Fort Financial is proud to support these outstanding students as they continue their education and pursue their personal and professional goals. Their academic achievement, leadership, service and determination reflect the credit union philosophy of people helping people.
Congratulations to Taya, Zoey, Emma and Austen!
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