(PRESS RELEASE) RANCHO CORDOVA, CA – VSP Global announced that Morgan Rogers is the recipient of the 2020 VSP Vision of Hope Scholarship. The scholarship is funded by VSP and awarded annually by the Kentucky College of Optometry to one of its excelling, first-year students who intends to practice in the rural Appalachian region where the school is located. Rogers received $5,000 toward her education.
“Attending Kentucky College of Optometry is special because it’s centrally located in the Appalachian region, which desperately needs access to eye care,” said Rogers. “Therefore, as students, we’re given ample opportunity to serve our neighbors while attending school. Continuing to serve as an optometrist here where I grew up is a driving factor for completing optometry school. I’m so grateful for the VSP Vision of Hope Scholarship, which recognizes the underserved community of Appalachia.”
“The VSP Vision of Hope Scholarship was created to support the next generation of optometry and expand much-needed access to eyecare throughout Appalachia,” said VSP Global Board Chairman Gordon W. Jennings, O.D. “We’re proud to support Morgan Rogers as this year’s recipient, and we look forward to her career in providing eye care to more and more people in the region.”
In total, VSP has awarded more than $2.5 million in scholarships to optometry students as part of a 65-year commitment to helping people see.
“The Kentucky College of Optometry appreciates this recognition of Morgan Rogers with the 2020 VSP Vision of Hope Scholarship,” said Dean of Kentucky College of Optometry Michael Bacigalupi, OD, MS, FAAO. “Morgan is an outstanding student who is dedicated to giving back and excited to serve the eye care needs of local patients.”
In addition to funding scholarships to support optometry students, VSP Eyes of Hope initiatives have helped more than 3 million adults and children overcome barriers of income, distance or disaster to gain access to eye care and eyewear.