This year’s Sinclair Scholarship recipients have undertaken missions to other states and destinations around the globe. They are compassionate and want to use their gifts to serve others in clinical psychology, ordained ministry, healthcare and advocacy.
Administered by the Florida United Methodist Foundation and founded with generous funding from the late Allen and Carson Sinclair, the Sinclair Scholarship promotes the next generation of United Methodist scholars who are leaders in their churches, schools and communities. The scholarship is funded for up to four years for undergraduate studies.
Callie Cyr looks to serve others in a caring profession
For Callie Cyr, graduating in 2026 means walking into a world of unknowns.
“I carry a lot of anxiety about graduating and going to school, and that’s something I feel like I’ve been bringing to the Lord a lot lately, of the uncertainty in the world,” Cyr said. “But I think if there, there is only one constant in my life, and that is Christ. And I think that’s the main reason why I can celebrate graduating right now.”
Callie, a graduate of Jupiter High School, lends a lot of her faith upbringing to the international youth ministry Young Life. There, she led fundraising and club initiatives, worked hard as a volunteer dining room server and janitor, and led the middle school outreach arm of the organization, WyldLife, which allowed her to advise 50 middle school students on life challenges she dealt with in years past.
A graduate of her high school’s Medical Academy, Callie received an innovative education that helped her explore her interest in biomedical sciences, taking classes in anatomy, physiology, and earning an EKG Certification, a credential that allows her to work as an EKG technician. She also competed in Health Occupations Students of America for presentations and projects on public health.
She plans to attend the University of Florida, majoring in biology. She looks forward to a career in which she can help others through medicine.
“Healthcare, especially the way I think about that, is, it’s almost another way I can be a vessel in another way that I can give back to others,” Cyr said.
After some hands-on shadowing in the emergency department at Jupiter Medical Center with a family friend and physician, she is curious about a more behind-the-scenes healthcare role, such as prosthetics design.
Callie will begin her studies at UF in the summer of 2026. Amid the life adjustment of graduation, she feels hope for what comes next.
“I feel extremely loved and celebrated,” she said. “And I just want everyone to know that that’s something they have to look forward to.”
Norah Pancoast serves God and her neighbors globally
Norah Pancoast, a 2026 high school graduate from Gainesville who attends Trinity United Methodist Church, grew up in the United Methodist Church, with two parents serving in ordained ministry.
Her relationship with her faith became more intentional and personal as she began attending the youth group at her church.
“I started to realize that my relationship with God was mine and that I was responsible for my faith and my faith journey,” Norah said.
In 2021, that journey led her 8,000 miles from home as she volunteered on an educational and immersive mission trip to Kenya with a local chapter of Zoe Empowers, a nonprofit that provides community building and economic support to orphans in Africa and Asia.
The nonprofit helps children and young adults to find community, stability, and ultimately, run successful businesses that will help them to prosper indefinitely.
Pancoast reflects on how she saw the mission instill hope in the people served.
“The power of seeing that because people believed in them, they were able to believe in themselves. … It was so visible through this program,” Pancoast said.
She returned to Kenya with the group in 2024. The experiences she gathered in Kenya deepened her interest in global mission work. She plans to study political science and economics at the University of Florida, a path she hopes will prepare her to advocate for others as a legislator, non-profit leader or attorney.
Norah looks back on those who helped her become who she is today. People like her youth director, Rebecca, who she says believed in her and pushed her to lead in small groups and speak as a delegate at Annual Conference.
Norah attributes her ability to exist in a foreign country to Molly McEntyre, Director of Connectional and Mission Ministries for the Florida Conference, who accompanied Pancoast on trips to Kenya.
“It’s because of the people who have shown me what it means to be a follower of Christ and to give back to others,” Pancoast said. “It’s because of those people that I’m able to have my faith.”
With the support of the Sinclair Scholarship, Pancoast sees the freedom to explore her interests, immerse herself in on-campus life, and have the freedom to do future mission work.
“I’m just excited to be able to give back,” Norah said. “The generosity that’s been given to me through scholarships like this, but also just so much of what I have and what I’m interested in and the people that I love are because of the church community.”
Lilly Denmark commits to an active and faithful path
Lilly Denmark also grew up with two parents serving in ordained ministry.
As part of her involvement with the youth group at St. Luke’s United Methodist Church in Orlando, she participated in three educational mission trips focused on education and advocacy. She visited Alabama and Georgia to explore the Civil Rights Movement, and traveled to Washington, D.C. to advocate for issues in front of lawmakers.
“I think that when most people think of like mission trips, they think of that hands-on work, which is great and really important,” Lilly said. “But I think sometimes we forget about advocacy and how important that also can be.”
In the summer of 2025, Denmark completed her third mission trip with St. Luke’s to focus on justice and reconciliation in Northern Ireland.
Despite being 28 years since what is understood to be the resolution of The Troubles, Lilly gained a better understanding of the conflict by interacting with locals.
“I realized through this experience that peace is not a one-time accomplishment, but an ongoing, daily process,” Lilly writes in her Sinclair Scholarship application essay. “It is one that requires persistence and humility.”
Her experience in the country prompted her to reflect on her faith and seek new ways of putting her faith into action in the world.
“This made me reflect on my own life and how I had, in some ways, settled for less,” Denmark said. “Just going through the motions of religion and not actually living out the principles of my faith.”
One way in which she has put her faith into action was as a Summer Youth Ministry intern at St. Luke’s, working directly with her youth leader and long-time mentor, Brandon Sangster.
In this role, she mentored others in youth group, led events, and helped with operations by managing their social media accounts. Additionally, Lilly and Brandon privately studied the book “Beloved” by Francis Chan, which explores how to not only accept God’s love, but also to experience it. “It was probably one of the most transformational experiences of my life,” Lilly said. “That really changed my perspective on youth ministry and the idea of before being able to see the beloved in others, you need to first see it in yourself and accept it in yourself.”
Lilly will attend the University of South Florida in Tampa to study psychology, a decision she feels will help her to understand the brain and prepare her for potential paths in ordained ministry and music therapy.
She is thankful for the support of the Sinclair Scholarship in making her next steps more attainable.
“It was a very big relief, and also just a lot of gratitude that [the Foundation] chose me,” Lilly said. “I’m feeling very blessed.”
Bella Bencomo finds a new home in the church
National Beta Club, National Honor Society, and National English Honor Society are a few organizations Winter Park High School graduate Bella Bencomo has been involved with. But the one that stands out as a favorite is Best Buddies, a national nonprofit that advocates for and enriches the lives of people with intellectual disabilities.
It’s through Best Buddies that Bencomo met her best friend, Amanda, who lives with Down Syndrome.
“She truly is such an amazing light in my life,” Bella said. “She has really taught me that there’s always a reason to smile and there’s always a reason to have a dance party.”
Bella would attend school sporting events and lunches with Amanda and other friends in Best Buddies, helping those with intellectual disabilities make new connections beyond their immediate classrooms.
Bella is a member of College Park United Methodist Church. She grew up in the Catholic Church, but stepped away for several years before prompting her parents to seek a new home. Now, she feels more connected to her faith community than ever.
“We’ve probably been going for about a year and a half now, and, I couldn’t have asked for a better place,” Bencomo said. “My mom made the joke that our pastor knows exactly what’s happening in our household every week. It feels so directed towards us and exactly what we need that week.”
Bella will attend the University of Central Florida with a major in psychology. For her, earning the Sinclair Scholarship was a turning point in her search for funding for her education.
“It is very validating,” Bella said. “For a while, I was getting rejected from a lot of scholarships, and I got the email back that I was accepted, and it truly just meant so much to me because it’s really hard to put into words.”