[BIO CONTINUED]

Her coaches honored her with the Most Courteous Award — a recognition that speaks as much to her character as any academic or athletic credential. Through NHS, peer tutoring, food drives, assisted living performances, and community outreach, her service is both wide and consistent.

Madalyn was selected for this scholarship because she doesn't just notice when someone is being left out — she does something about it.  One summer, working with children from the foster care system, a small boy wandered into the deep end. She jumped in and pulled him up. Afterward he said, "Wow, you just saved me. Maybe I really don't know how to swim." That moment led her to redesign the camp's entire swim assessment — every child received a colorful fish charm, pass or fail, and the charm became the prize.

Then she noticed a girl who always sat out. When Madalyn learned she couldn't get her textured hair wet, she designated the shallow end splash-free. The girl's eyes lit up. She joined her friends and earned her charm. When Camp Hope arrived — children diagnosed with cancer — Madalyn reorganized the entire waterfront so every child could participate fully and forget their diagnosis for a week. These experiences confirmed her calling: not to change people, but to adjust the environment so everyone feels included, capable, and fully seen. It is the heart of what occupational therapy means to her.

Madalyn's faith was born at RUMC — literally. The daughter of Rev. Nancy Folsom, she grew up within those walls, sneaking popsicles from staff offices and wandering into Harry Hall's Sunday school class, always welcomed like a favorite grandchild. It wasn't until her family moved to Illinois that she understood what she had been given.

Her faith deepened through music — she can still recite verses taught by Ms. Bev and Ms. Rhea Ausmus. She was confirmed at RUMC by her own mother — and still remembers her mother's voice breaking as they felt the presence of God fill the sanctuary. Camp Glisson sparked a love for camp life that would shape the next decade of her life.

Though now in Illinois, Madalyn carries RUMC with her — in a daily prayer alarm, in the community she intentionally surrounds herself with, and in the way she moves through the world. When she watches online services, she says she feels ten years old again, sitting in "big church" with her dad.

In Madalyn's words: "I always try to represent and align my actions with God's values." According to everyone who knows her, she has succeeded. The RUMC Foundation, Inc. recognizes Madalyn's accomplishments and is proud to honor her as a 2026 Harry L. Hall Scholar.