Voorhees University Students, Alumni Earn Honors at National UNCF Leadership Gala

Four members of the Voorhees University community brought national recognition back to Denmark last month, earning honors at the 2026 UNCF National Alumni and National Pre-Alumni Councils Leadership Conference and Legacy Gala, held in February at The Royal Sonesta Houston Galleria in Houston, Texas.

Vinzanna Leysath, Christina Donovan, Trustee Tiffany Gary, and Dorrel Myers were each recognized during the conference's Legacy Gala celebration for outstanding leadership, scholarship, and service. Voorhees University extended congratulations to the four in a March 11 announcement, stating the institution is proud of them "for their exemplary achievements and for representing the institution with distinction at the national level."

The honors presented at the Gala included the Hall of Honor and Outstanding Young Alumni awards, which recognize graduates who exemplify excellence, leadership, and impactful contributions to their alma mater, community, and the United Negro College Fund. Tiffany Gary, identified in the university's announcement by her title as a Voorhees Trustee, was among those named, signaling the breadth of the university's recognized community, from current institutional leadership to alumni.

The conference itself draws more than 500 students, alumni leaders, HBCU administrators, sponsors, and higher education advocates from across the country each year. Designed to strengthen leadership, advocacy, and alumni engagement, it serves as a platform where, according to Voorhees University, "innovative strategies are explored and lifelong relationships are forged."

Central to the conference's structure is the UNCF National Pre-Alumni Council, which was founded in 1958 and serves as the governing body for student-led Pre-Alumni Councils on UNCF-member campuses. Those campus-level councils focus on building early alumni engagement and leadership, with students in active roles raising funds and promoting loyalty among institutions, alumni, faculty, and students alike. The framework is designed to cultivate a lifelong commitment to supporting HBCUs long before graduation.

For Voorhees, a historically Black university in the small city of Denmark in Bamberg County, recognition at a national gathering of this scale reflects what the university called "sustained commitment to uplifting HBCUs and advancing the mission of the United Negro College Fund.