Lighthouse Guild Scholarship Program Helps Students Who Are Blind Achieve Their College Dreams

NEW YORK, Aug. 2, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Getting into the college of your choice and paying for it is never easy. For many it can seem like an elusive dream. And, for students who are blind it can be particularly challenging. Recognizing this, Lighthouse Guild, the leading not-for-profit vision and healthcare organization, offers the largest financial scholarships in the country for students who are legally blind. The scholarships are awarded based on strong academic accomplishment and merit.

Recent Lighthouse Guild Scholarship recipient Emely Recinos explained in her college essay to New York University, the school she will attend in the fall, that she plans to study law and 'work for equality and equal protections for people with disabilities.' One of fifteen Lighthouse Guild Scholarship awardees this year, Emely is the recipient of the Judy Van Nostrand Arts Award for excellence in music. A native New Yorker, Emely attended Beacon High School in Manhattan and was a student of Lighthouse Guild's Filomen M. D'Agostino Greenberg Music School, where she learned to read Braille music and play both the piano and drums. She has participated in the Children's Chorus, the National Dance Institute program, and helped start a high school rock band.

"More often than not, we see these young men and women turn disabilities into inspiring stories of human triumph," remarked Gordon Rovins, Director of Special Programs at Lighthouse Guild. "Emely is a remarkable young woman who is making it her mission to give back. Rather than let blindness or other obstacles hold her down, she's been a role model for her peers, her family, and for all of us."

Each year, Lighthouse Guild awards approximately 15 scholarships to college bound high school graduates who are legally blind, up to $10,000 per student. The scholarships provide financial support to help students make a successful transition from high school to a college or university of their choice. In addition to scholarships for college bound high school students, Lighthouse Guild also provides scholarships of up to $5,000 for graduate students to help them continue their academic studies.

Jameyanne Fuller, recipient of the Lighthouse Guild Graduate Scholarship, is another young person who is confronting the challenges of blindness to build global awareness and make a difference. A Fulbright scholar, Jameyanne's own experience living and working independently as a teacher in Italy, opened the eyes of others to what someone with a disability can do when given the opportunity. Following her time in Italy, Jameyanne was awarded a Lighthouse Guild Graduate Scholarship to attend Harvard Law School, where she will be preparing to 'make a bigger difference' and focus on 'the policy and implementation of rights of people with disabilities.'

Dr. Alan R. Morse, President and CEO of Lighthouse Guild, said, "We have been able to give more than 150 scholarships over the last 10 years to students who are blind and who have excelled in their studies and shown great promise for the future. At Lighthouse Guild, we believe that when you provide people with the right tools and support, there is no limit to what they can achieve. It is gratifying to know that we are helping students with vision loss achieve their dreams."

The 15 high school students who have received Lighthouse Guild Scholarships will be attending some of the most prestigious universities in the country, including: Yale University,  Duke University, Texas A&M, Catholic University, University of Pennsylvania, Georgetown University, University of Texas at Austin, University of Notre Dame, Michigan State University, New York University, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Central College (Iowa), Louisiana State University, University of Iowa,  and Berry College (Georgia). In addition to Jameyanne, who is entering Harvard Law School, another student received a Lighthouse Guild Graduate Scholarship and will start graduate studies at Yale University.

About Lighthouse Guild
Lighthouse Guild is the leading not-for-profit vision and healthcare organization with a long history of addressing the needs of people who are blind or visually impaired, including those with multiple disabilities or chronic medical conditions. With more than 200 years of experience and service, Lighthouse Guild brings a level of understanding to vision care that is unmatched. By integrating vision and healthcare services and expanding access through its programs and education and awareness, we help people lead productive, dignified and fulfilling lives. For more information: http://www.lighthouseguild.org.

SOURCE Lighthouse Guild