Announcing the 2026 Vision Fellows and Scholars!
The Martha’s Vineyard Vision Fellowship Grants Committee is delighted to announce the recipients of the 2026 Vision Fellowship and Vision Scholar awards. The Committee was impressed by these individuals' passionate and thoughtful commitment to their endeavors and fields of study, as well as to the Island. They showed a vision to support and sustain the Island’s best qualities in the years ahead, not just as it exists today.
The 2026 Martha’s Vineyard Vision Fellows are:
Lea Hamner, MPH, is a public health epidemiologist based on Martha’s Vineyard specializing in tickborne diseases, Alpha-Gal Syndrome (AGS), and community-based public health systems. She earned her bachelor’s and Master of Public Health degrees from Yale University and has more than 10 years of experience in local public health epidemiology and disease prevention. Over the past three years, she has helped build regional epidemiology infrastructure across the Cape & Islands while serving as a trusted bridge between researchers, healthcare providers, public health agencies, and the community. The Martha’s Vineyard Vision Fellowship has awarded Lea funding to support her role as a community-embedded partner in emerging clinical research efforts while continuing to serve as a public health epidemiologist on Martha’s Vineyard. Her project focuses on strengthening Island-based scientific and public health capacity to better understand and respond to emerging tickborne health threats affecting the community.
Sasha Iammarino will pursue a master’s degree in speech-language pathology through Calvin University’s online program. This degree will qualify Sasha for full Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) licensure and enable her to serve individuals from early childhood through adulthood in both educational and clinical settings. Fluent in English and Brazilian Portuguese, Sasha currently provides bilingual services as a medical interpreter at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital and as a school interpreter within the public school system. Her work ensures that language barriers do not stand in the way of quality healthcare or education for Martha’s Vineyard’s diverse residents. Having grown up in Brazil, Sasha brings a unique perspective to the island. Her undergraduate thesis at Marlboro College documented Brazilian migration to Martha’s Vineyard, offering deep insight into the cultural values, norms, and communication styles of the island’s multilingual community. This is Sasha’s second Vision Fellowship award. With a 2025 award, Sasha completed a post-baccalaureate program at Elms College to fulfill prerequisite coursework for graduate-level study in Speech-Language Pathology.
Jack Pachico will pursue a master’s degree through Merrimack College’s Clinical Mental Health Counseling program. This next step in Jack’s career reflects a deep commitment to advancing mental health and social services for young people on Martha’s Vineyard. Jack is currently employed at Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School as a Business Teacher and an Administrative Support Professional within the Wellness Office, which is part of the Student Affairs Office. In his role, he works closely with the school’s adjustment counselors and student support staff to address students’ academic, social, emotional, and behavioral needs. This position has allowed Jack to build strong professional relationships within the school community and gain firsthand experience working in student wellness and support services.
Vision Scholar Awards:
The Martha’s Vineyard Vision Fellowship’s Vision Scholar Award recognizes high school seniors who are committed to strengthening the Island’s social and environmental sustainability and who show promise as future leaders and change advocates. Each Vision Scholar award is for two years in the amount of $10,000 per year.
Bangii-Kai Bellecourt is a senior at Martha’s Vineyard Public Charter School (MVPCS) who will study environmental science this fall. Bangii-Kai’s goal is to ‘spark the connection from soul to soil, fueling interest in the natural world, something that is so important for all of us to learn.’ He is committed to sustaining the Island Wampanoag culture and to becoming a mentor for those who want to study environmental sciences and Indigenous sovereignty. Bangii-Kai has worked for the Tribe’s education department since he was 14. He had previously attended the program and served as a volunteer. Bangii-Kai is also a Docent/Museum Educator at the Aquinnah Cultural Center's Wampanoag History Museum (Vanderhoop Homestead).
Gabriela Lino plans to engage in premed studies this fall. She will graduate from MVPCS this spring. Gabriella has taken many courses and seminars outside of school that have fed her passion for a career in medicine. She has participated in healthcare seminars with ACE MV, received certifications for an EMT course/CNA course, and completed Medicine in Action: A View into the Life of a Medical Student Pre-College Course at Brown University. Gabriella has also worked at Cronig’s Market and Healthy Additions since 2022.
Amelia Russell Schaeffer will graduate from Falmouth Academy this spring. She will then study biology, with a minor in psychology, at Wesleyan University this fall. Her goal is to become a doctor. She plans to work as an EMT-basic this summer and at college and will pursue paramedic certification in college. Among other things, Amelia played varsity lacrosse, basketball and soccer at Falmouth Academy. Amelia’s commitment to becoming a physician was formed through firsthand observation of her father and other family members in action as EMTs, doctors, nurses, and paramedics on the Cape and Martha’s Vineyard.
Aubriel Tomkins, a senior at MVPCS, plans to pursue a career in pharmacology. Her motivation is rooted in genuine compassion for those who face chronic conditions, driving her to help others through medicine. She has volunteered at Martha’s Vineyard Hospital and works at Conroy Apothecary as a pharmacy technician in training. She has contributed to her school community in numerous ways, including by serving as a social skills mentor and a third-grade math mentor.
In addition, Clara Athearn, Oona Carroll, Robert “Huck” Moore and Brooke Ward, who were awarded two-year Vision Scholar awards upon high school graduation in 2024, have been awarded second two-year Vision Scholar awards, for their junior and senior years.