USHJA Announces 2025 Recipients of the $25,000 Hamel Family Scholarship for Further Education

Lexington, Ky.—July 7, 2025—The U.S. Hunter Jumper Association is pleased to announce this year’s recipients of the $25,000 Hamel Family Scholarship for Further Education as Zoe Lewczak and Lauren Mauldin. Designed to encourage further education among equestrians, this year's $25,000 scholarship will help two equestrians pursue their higher education goals.

Lewczak, 25, of Nokesville, Virginia, is attending Harvard Medical School beginning this Fall, working towards a Master of Science Program in Bioethics with a concentration in Clinical Ethics. Her career goals aim at becoming a physician who also studies ethical issues in medicine. Lewczak hopes to marry her science background of understanding the human body and disease processes with her bioethics and analytical skills to address the multifaceted challenges of modern healthcare and advocate for patient wellbeing.

Being a first-generation college student and active in the Hunter/Jumper community, horses helped pave the way for Lewczak's career. She also aims to be actively involved in conversations that shape the future of ethical conduct in equestrian sports for athletes and participants. While an undergraduate at the University of Virginia, she began her advocacy work through a variety of volunteer roles, including serving as captain of the equestrian team, horse handler at Charlottesville Area Riding Therapy, advocate at Planned Parenthood, and Youth Advocate at the Virginia Foundation for Healthy Youth. Currently, she works in External Affairs at NYU Grossman School of Medicine and serves on the Work Life Balance Committee for the Joint Committee on the Status of Women. She also volunteers as a Child Life Volunteer at MedStar Georgetown Hospital and as a Palliative Care and Hospice Volunteer with Capital Caring.

Even while working during her undergraduate studies, post-baccalaureate studies, and now in graduate school, aid from this scholarship will help provide financial relief. In return, this will allow her to focus more on her research interests of integrating ethical support in the horse world.  

"The equestrian community has truly opened doors I never knew existed," Lewczak expressed on receiving the scholarship. "I often reflect on how the network and opportunities within the equestrian community have profoundly influenced my academic trajectory, like the Hamel Family Scholarship for Further Education. This scholarship brings me closer to my dream of becoming a physician-ethicist, someone dedicated to approaching medicine with an ethically grounded heart."

Mauldin, 39, of Austin, Texas, a lifelong rider and Adult Amateur Hunter competitor, is making a bold mid-career shift from corporate marketing to professional counseling. This fall, she will begin a Master of Arts in Professional Counseling at Texas State University, with a concentration in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. Her decision to pursue a new career in service and healing was shaped by personal tragedy, the loss of her spouse to addiction, and a profound therapeutic journey that followed.

A USHJA member and regular competitor in the Hunter ring, Mauldin has chronicled her equestrian and personal journey through her award-nominated blog and work as Senior Editor at The Plaid Horse. Her writing, which explores mental health, grief, and LGBTQ+ inclusion in the equestrian community, has appeared in national publications such as The Los Angeles Times and The Los Angeles Review. She is also a longtime advocate for accessibility and mental health awareness in equestrian sport.

In addition to her professional experience, Mauldin is active in her local community. She has served as a foster care parent, volunteered with homeless outreach, and currently mentors youth through Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Texas. Her long-term goal is to offer trauma-informed care and equine-assisted therapy, particularly for underserved populations, including women and LGBTQ+ individuals.

"Receiving this scholarship is not only a huge help to me personally as I start school to become a mental health therapist, but it's also a huge show of support for mental health and wellness," said Mauldin. "Through initiatives like this scholarship, USHJA and the Hamel Family help equestrians like me pursue their dreams and foster positive change in the industry."

The Hamel Family Scholarship for Further Education is made possible through the generous support of the Kristen and James Hamel Family Foundation. This scholarship has provided up to $25,000 annually to one or more USHJA members pursuing college, graduate, trade, or professional school. Eligible individuals may apply each year, but can only receive the scholarship once.

To learn more about this opportunity and other funding programs available through the USHJA Foundation, visit ushja.org/foundation.

Photos: Courtesy of Zoe Lewczak, Heather N. Photography