Morgan Poe spent her high school years running a household, caring for her younger sister and supporting her mother through breast cancer surgery and recovery. On Aug. 12, the 2026 Larry A. Ryle High School graduate from Union was named the top recipient of the inaugural FITBODY Pink Breast Cancer Family Scholarship.

Nearly 400 students applied.

Poe, selected from graduating seniors across the country, receives a $1,000 award toward her dental hygiene studies at the University of Louisville, where she begins classes this fall.

The scholarship, announced by FITBODY Pink, recognizes graduating high school seniors who helped hold their families together while a parent went through breast cancer diagnosis and treatment. Poe's mother, a single parent, was diagnosed with breast cancer during Poe's time at Ryle. Poe stepped in to manage the household and care for her younger sister through her mother's surgical recovery.

That caregiving experience led Poe to volunteer weekly at St. Elizabeth Hospital, where she works with patients being discharged.

"I may not have been able to rid the cancer, but I prayed and supported my mom in all the ways I could," Poe wrote in her winning scholarship essay. "When I look back on struggles in my life, instead of only seeing them as hardships I have faced, I see them as moments that I found my true self and purpose."

At Ryle, Poe carried a 4.727 GPA and competed on the golf team, placing in the top five at her regional tournament as a senior.

The scholarship was founded by Julie Lohre, a Walton, Kentucky-based fitness professional and two-time breast cancer survivor. Lohre was first diagnosed during her own son's senior year of high school and again during his sophomore year of college. She said Poe's essay stood out from the field.

"Her essay is the one I kept coming back to," Lohre said in the announcement. "I have been on the receiving end of that kind of support. It matters far more than the person giving it ever realizes at the time."

The FITBODY Pink scholarship awards one top winner at $1,000 and two runners-up at $500 each annually.

Boone County Schools open for the 2026-27 school year on Aug. 19.