2026 Wing Scholarship Recipients

By Rebecca Gardner

We are proud to select both Emma Wing and Scarlett Foley as this year’s Wing Scholarship recipients in recognition of their thoughtful scholarship, personal initiative, and meaningful commitment to preserving family heritage.

Emma’s essay stands out for its depth of reflection and originality. Rather than simply recounting her family’s past, she explores the broader significance of heritage—how it is not only preserved through institutions and records, but actively sustained through personal relationships, shared stories, and intentional acts of remembrance. Her writing demonstrates both intellectual rigor and emotional insight, connecting historical reflection to present-day responsibility.

Of particular note is Emma’s hands-on commitment to preserving family history through oral histories. Motivated by the loss of firsthand stories from her grandparents, she has taken initiative to interview relatives, record their memories, and thoughtfully transcribe their voices. This work reflects not only technical effort, but genuine care for capturing the individuality, language, and lived experiences of family members. Her project exemplifies the very spirit of heritage preservation the scholarship seeks to encourage.

In addition to her demonstrated commitment to family history, Emma is pursuing an advanced doctoral degree in Psychological Sciences at the University of Connecticut, reflecting strong academic achievement and dedication to intellectual growth. Her focus on language and cognition further reinforces the themes of communication, memory, and storytelling that are so central to her essay.

Scarlett’s essay distinguishes itself through its honesty and introspection. She writes from the perspective of absence—growing up without grandparents and without the continuity of oral family storytelling that many take for granted. Rather than viewing this as a limitation, she thoughtfully explores how this gap shaped her curiosity and ultimately sparked a deeper search for identity and belonging.

Her narrative of discovering the Wing Family Cemetery provides a powerful and memorable turning point. What began as an accidental roadside stop became a moment of connection across generations, awakening a lasting interest in her family’s history. Scarlett captures this experience with clarity and reflection, demonstrating how even small, unexpected encounters can profoundly reshape one’s understanding of heritage.

In addition to her reflective writing, Scarlett is beginning her academic journey in a rigorous dual-degree program in Public Relations and Marketing at Syracuse University, where she has already earned Dean’s List recognition. Her academic dedication, combined with her curiosity and capacity for thoughtful analysis, signal strong future potential.

We are so proud of these young Wing cousins and grateful that we can help in their scholarly careers.