June 14, 2023 — The Lighthouse Guild is awarding 15 college scholarships of $10,000 each to legally blind students entering college or graduate school in the fall.
 
Lighthouse Guild’s scholarship program has awarded more than $2.7 million in scholarships since 2005. Scholarships are granted based on strong academic accomplishments and merit.
 
“It’s challenging for young people today to achieve their higher education goals, and students who are visually impaired face particular challenges,” says Calvin W. Roberts, M.D., president and CEO of Lighthouse Guild. “We are pleased to support these outstanding students, so they have a clearer path to success in their chosen careers. I congratulate them on their academic achievements and wish them well in the future.”
 
This year, the Lighthouse Guild has included an additional scholarship, the Dr. Neil S. Patel Memorial Scholarship, which is awarded to legally blind students who aspire to support underserved populations. This year’s recipient is Jack McPadden to support his pursuit of a doctorate in clinical psychology at Spalding University.
 
“Both personally and professionally, I am dedicated to supporting people from systemically marginalized populations who lack access to evidence-based, culturally responsive mental health services,” says McPadden. “I hope to cultivate clinical skills to effectively support young people experiencing mental health difficulties as I carry my passion for this work to my graduate education.”
 
For more testimonials from scholarship recipients, click here.
 
Here are the 2023 Lighthouse Guild scholarship recipients and the schools they will be attending this fall:
 
Undergraduate Scholarships
Skylar Adad, Danville, CA – Boise State University
Kenny Calhoun, Aldie, VA – William & Mary
Matthew Cho, New York City – Marymount Manhattan College
Holly Connor, Clayton, MO – Webster University
Jack Freeburg, Volin, SD – University of Notre Dame
Julia LaGrand, Grand Rapids, MI – New England Conservatory
Haley Nisperly, Wheeling, WV – University of Charleston
Caden Roebke, Gypsum, CO – Colorado School of Mines
Ashleigh Rogers, Duncannon, PA – Lebanon Valley College
Charlotte Wismer, Drexel Hill, PA – Rochester Institute of Technology
 
Graduate Scholarships 
Trisha Kulkarni, Dayton, OH – Stanford University
Jack McPadden, (Patel Scholarship) – Winchester, MA, Spalding University
Emely Recinos, New York, NY – Syracuse University College of Law
Elizabeth Rouse, Durant, IA – University of Minnesota School of Law
Maryam Abdul Sattar, San Diego, CA – San Diego State University
 
For more information: lighthouseguild.org.