Oprah Winfrey Scholars Lead, Serve, and Demonstrate Brotherhood
Oprah Winfrey scholars lead on campus and in the community, demonstrating a commitment to serve and to their development as ethical, servant leaders. Scholars’ leadership in the Morehouse and broader community exemplifies the OWSP motto, “Leadership, Service, Brotherhood”. Here we highlight a few of the Oprah Winfrey scholars who lead and serve in our community.
Chris Lamby, Jr., ‘27, Leads AUC March to the Polls
Ja’Rory Purnell, ‘27, serves the Community at St. Francis Community Table
Scholars Austin Ford, ‘26, Cameron Cleveland, ‘26, and Jeremy Avan, ‘27, lead “The Giveback Tour”
DayMond Johnson, ‘26, leads through the MARCH Program
From Morehouse to Capitol Hill: Advocacy in Action
John Gwynn ‘27: Giving Hope through “Letters from my Brothers”
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The Annual AUC March to the Polls was organized and led by Chris Lambry Jr., an Oprah Winfrey Scholar and the Senate President Pro Temp for the 94th Student Government Association at Morehouse College. In partnership with the Student Government Associations across the Atlanta University Center (AUC) and the NAACP Chapters of Morehouse College and Spelman College, Lambry Jr. spearheaded this collaboration. This partnership reflected the shared commitment of student leaders to civic engagement, unity, and preserving the legacy of activism within the AUC.
This year’s March to the Polls held immense historical significance for several reasons. It was held on Atlanta Student Movement Boulevard, a landmark where generations of AUC students and civil rights leaders marched in pursuit of justice and equality. By retracing those same steps decades later, this time using the ballot as a form of protest and progress, the event carried profound symbolism. It served as a poignant reminder that the struggle for representation and equity continues, and that our generation honors this history by transforming advocacy into action through voting and community leadership.
The initiative, which continues the vision of Rollin Jackson Jr., the 93rd SGA President who first established the March to the Polls tradition, has grown under the leadership of Oprah Scholar Kenny Ugo ’26, the 94th Student Government Association President and Oprah Scholar. Under Ugo’s guidance, the 2025 march expanded its reach and impact, attracting over 250 student leaders and a diverse array of campus organizations, including the Divine Nine, student governments, modeling agencies, and advocacy groups.
Together, these organizations showcased the power of collective action and the enduring spirit of the Atlanta University Community (AUC). This year’s march served as both a tribute to those who paved the way and a declaration that the legacy of the Atlanta Student Movement lives on through the next generation of changemakers.
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For my service initiative at the St. Francis Community Table, I wanted to respond to a
need that came up often in my conversations with guests during the winter months. Many people shared how difficult the cold season becomes because they do not have consistent access to warm clothing or a safe place to stay. I was introduced to St. Francis by Dr. Corey Stayton, who has been serving there for 28 years, and through his example I learned the importance of showing up consistently for this community. After hearing the experiences of the guests, I created an initiative focused on providing essential winter items such as blankets, hoodies, and socks to support our unhoused neighbors during the coldest part of the year.
The Oprah Winfrey Scholars Program funded the project and helped bring the vision to life. I partnered with SGA, LYTEhouse, and Aaron Mitchell clothing brand (Organic Palace) to make the initiative stronger. SGA representatives Kenny Ugo and Enoch Omotayo helped me organize the event. Chick-fil-A sponsored the service by donating more than one hundred breakfast sandwiches. Students prepared and served meals while also distributing blankets, hoodies, socks, hygiene kits, and other essentials to ensure guests received both warmth and dignity during the holiday season. With OWSP scholars actively participating, the project embodied the program’s mission to empower leaders who uplift their communities through purposeful action.
After the event, the joy on everyone’s face made me realize that the impact was even bigger than I expected. It showed me how meaningful it can be when we step up for our community. Moments like this remind me that no matter where you start or what you have, you can always choose to be a light in someone else’s life.
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This semester, a dedicated group of students transformed their non-profit organization, Young Shiner Cares (YSC), into an official registered student organization - and immediately began making an impact.
Led by three Oprah Winfrey scholars, Austin Ford, ‘26, Cameron Cleveland, ‘26, and Jeremy Avan, 27, YSC spent the week before finals actively serving both the campus and the broader community.
Their first major initiative, The Giveback Tour, invited students to donate coats and hygiene products to support individuals experiencing homelessness in East St. Louis, Illinois. On campus, YSC hosted a Snack Pack Smash, giving students a powerful mental-health boost as they approached finals week. They also partnered with SGA, C&W Services, and others to support the annual Midnight Brunch, where YSC contributed $600 in meal vouchers for off-campus students without meal plans.
To close out the week, the organization held a large, collaborative study hall, where more than 50 students gathered to focus, complete assignments, and prepare for their exams.
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This past Fall, I had the distinct honor of representing Morehouse College in Washington, D.C. as a member of the 3rd cohort of the MARCH (Morehouse Advocacy Reaching Capitol Hill) Ambassadors Program. From November 16th, 2025, to November 20th, 2025, as one of twelve student leaders, we were immersed in a transformative experience designed not only to teach us how policy is created, but to challenge us to actively shape it and progress society forward.
Throughout the week, we engaged directly with members of Congress, legislative staff, journalists, and national advocacy organizations to elevate student-driven policy solutions grounded in equity and justice. Our advocacy focused on three urgent issues impacting communities across the country: securing safe practices for our nation's education system, addressing food insecurity in America’s food deserts, and my group, alleviating the burden of rentals during the affordable housing crisis.
One of the most powerful moments of the experience was meeting with U.S. Representative Sanford Bishop '68, whose leadership embodies the legacy of Morehouse on a national scale. We also visited the National Public Radio (NPR), where we spoke with Keonna Carter, Esq, about the role of media in shaping public discourse and participated in strategic dialogues at institutions, including the Institute for Policy Studies, with Tope Folarin '04, who is the executive director of the think tank. Each engagement reinforced the importance of informed advocacy and the responsibility we carry as emerging leaders.
What made the MARCH experience especially meaningful was the way it affirmed Morehouse’s mission in real time. We were not in Washington simply to observe. But rather we were there to contribute, to question, and to propose solutions. As students, we were treated as stakeholders in the democratic process, entrusted with the task of speaking for communities that are too often excluded from policy conversations.
This experience strengthened my commitment to civic engagement and reaffirmed my belief that education must extend beyond the classroom. The MARCH Ambassadors Program is a powerful reminder that as Men of Morehouse we have the responsibility to embody leading with disciplined minds, purposeful hearts, and an unwavering commitment to justice. Our presence on Capitol Hill is established, and change is not just coming, it is here.
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On Monday, January 19th, John Gwynn launched “Letters from my Brothers” as part of the Oprah Winfrey Scholars Program King Day of Service. Here, John shares his story and why he was moved to launch this initiative.
When I began my journey to Morehouse College, I came in with a clear intention of what my academic and career journey would be. This sense of clarity and drive towards my future came from a prior life as a servant leader and first responder. I have first-hand witnessed an epidemic of violence and trauma in my own community, and its ravaging claim on the lives of young men of color. That is what inspired me to attend Morehouse College to become the man my community deserves, but also to become a clinical research psychiatrist because that is what my community deserves. As I am halfway through my second year here at Morehouse College, I have been fortunate enough to have already had a life-changing opportunity. Although I am proud of the awards, scholarships and leadership titles, the experience that will forever stick with me is the opportunity to found my own nonprofit service initiative called “Letters From My Brothers.”
Letters From My Brothers is a service initiative with the mission: to empower Black youth & scholars to write letters of empathy & compassion to provide hope and community support for families of color grieving loss. This past winter break inspired me to found this service initiative after experiencing one evening that I will never forget. This past Christmas holiday, while back home in Hartford, CT, I first responded to a fatal hit & run accident outside my friend’s house. The victims of the experience were the James family, a family of four heading home on Christmas evening. We are fortunate that three members of the James family survived the experience after receiving proper medical attention, but unfortunately, the only family member to not survive the tragedy was 14-year-old Malachi James.
I heard the thunderous crash, I dialed 911, I threw on my sneakers to run outside, I helped neighbors free the family from the car, I updated first responders as soon as they arrived and watched as they pronounced Malachi deceased on the scene. I was compelled to re-enroll in college from witnessing gang and community violence claim so many young men’s lives, I was not prepared for the emotional ramifications of witnessing a completely innocent bystander’s life be taken. As a double STEM major in the pre-medical education track, I had to find a way to cope with the reality of the educational future ahead of me.
Through the support of my Morehouse brothers and my Iota brothers, I was able to receive words of hope and encouragement as I opened up about my Christmas experience on social media. After connecting with the mother of the deceased victim, Ms. Holloway, I was able to receive healing words of gratitude. When I shared with her the words that my brothers had shared with me, I recognized a profound impact on her perspective and grieving process. Ms. Holloway also happens to be an AUCC alum, having attended the illustrious Morris Brown College. The community support she felt during one of her darkest times gave her light and hope, and she knew she was not alone. I asked her if she would be open to receiving physical letters from my brothers who expressed interest in sharing their condolences and support directly, and from her agreement the genesis of Letters From My Brother began.
I knew immediately that what I experienced Christmas evening 2025 would forever be a memory burned into my mind. As an individual who recognizes the innate calling towards service and healing within me, I had to find a way to make this permanent memory a purpose and not a barrier. Although this initiative came to existence from a tragedy it gave me an immediate opportunity to act on the ideals and mission of Morehouse College: to develop men with disciplined minds who will lead lives of leadership and service. I came to Morehouse to become the man my community deserves and through the Oprah Winfrey Scholars Program and all the fortunate experiences to come, I will become the man I want to be.
