(PRESS RELEASE) ALEXANDRIA, VA — The Vision Council announces that the online application for the Open Your Eyes Scholarship, intended to provide financial assistance and career guidance to high school seniors who show an interest in the eyecare and optical industry and are from underrepresented racial and ethnic communities, is now open.
To view the application, click here.
The online application opens today, Wednesday, May 5 and closes Thursday, July 1. All applicants will be notified by Thursday, July 15.
“The scholarship selection committee is excited to launch the Open Your Eyes Scholarship application,” said Tarrence Lackran, Director of Programs and Partnerships at The Vision Council and a member of the scholarship selection committee. “We are looking forward to viewing a brief snapshot of each applicant’s story and appreciating their individuality and life experiences that brought them on this journey to our industry. The application has been designed with open-ended questions and video submissions that will give each applicant the freedom to express themselves so that we can get to know more about who they are and what part they will play in shaping this industry’s future.”
The Open Your Eyes Scholarship will support selected students through monetary scholarships to opticianry school, paid internships and mentorships. The intent of the program is to launch a far-reaching effort that can expand to other segments of the industry.
For the first round of scholarships for the 2021–2022 school year, eligible students must be interested in pursuing an Associates Degree in Ophthalmic Dispensing from either Georgia Piedmont Technical College or New York City Technical College. Scholarships will cover tuition and fees, and $250 allowance per semester for books and supplies. Scholarships are renewable each semester upon successful completion of all course work and internship/mentorship requirements.
The Open Your Eyes Scholarship does not include admittance to the colleges; students must apply separately to the ophthalmic dispensing programs.
In addition to submitting a letter of recommendation and responses to several essay questions, scholarship applicants are asked to prepare and submit a 60 to 90 second video answering the following questions:
- Who has been a role model to you? Why?
- Tell us about a personal achievement of yours that you are most proud of.
- What excites you about being a part of the Open Your Eyes Scholarship Program?
Eligible students must:
- Be interested in pursuing a degree at either Georgia Piedmont Technical College or New York City Technical College
- Have graduated from high school by June 30, 2021
- Be available to work 16–24 hours per week during an internship/mentorship with an eyecare provider or optical retailer
- Be legally eligible to work in the United Sates
Direct any questions to Tarrence Lackran, Director of Programming and Partnerships at The Vision Council, at tlackran@thevisioncouncil.org.
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