VSP Global News

VSP Global News

Meet the Recipients of the 2021 Practice Excellence Scholarship

As part of their commitment to support the next generation of optometry, VSP Global® is proud to continue the Practice Excellence Scholarship in partnership with American Academy of Optometry Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the American Academy of Optometry (AAO).  

The Practice Excellence Scholarship is a long-standing and prestigious scholarship that represents the very best in what optometry has to offer in patient care and practice management. Only two recipients from each of the 25 schools and colleges of Optometry were selected from nominations submitted by their individual institutions. Scholarship recipients were selected based on the student’s commitment to enter the independent practice of optometry and their clinical and academic performance. 

Each year, VSP awards up to $4,000 each to two fourth-year students at each institution of optometry in the United States, Puerto Rico, and Canada. Each winner receives scholarship money and a travel grant to attend the AAO annual meeting. This year, nearly $164,000 was awarded to 50 top-performing fourth-year optometry students.

Meet the 2021 Practice Excellence Scholarship recipients: 

  1. Chicago College of Optometry at Midwestern University — Brian Helmetag & Kennedy Hall 
  2. Illinois College of Optometry — Erica Kristina Payne & Frederick Neher
  3. Indiana University School of Optometry — Emily Ertel & Teddy Hesterman
  4. Inter American University of Puerto Rico, School of Optometry — Claudia Contreras & Savaira Patoli
  5. Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences — Ashley Wallace & Vincent Thoren
  6. Michigan College of Optometry — Amy Bell & Jordan Marentette
  7. Midwestern University Arizona College of Optometry — Joel Naberhaus & Sarah Sipe
  8. New England College of Optometry — Jessica Tarka & William Hogue
  9. Northeastern State University Oklahoma, College of Optometry — Alex Kinsinger & Claire Burbee
  10. NOVA Southeastern University College of Optometry — Joshua Black & Katty Nguyen
  11. Ohio State University College of Optometry — Kalie Leone & Thomas Krainz
  12. Pacific University College of Optometry — Alex Schoen & Christian DeJongh
  13. Pennsylvania College of Optometry — Allie Decker & Olivia Ryan Burger
  14. Rosenberg School of Optometry — Alejandro Cerrillo & Christian Lopez
  15. Southern California College of Optometry — Natalie Breau & Theresa Tran
  16. Southern College of Optometry — Alexandra Turner & Michael Wagner
  17. State University of New York College of Optometry — Elise Regina & Melody Kordnaij
  18. University of Alabama at Birmingham — Annie Lane & Riley Camp
  19. University of California-Berkeley, School of Optometry — Kayle Edwards & Sophia Lam
  20. University of Houston, College of Optometry — Mary Dang & Polly Luong
  21. University of Missouri–St. Louis, College of Optometry — Elizabeth Voss & Riley Liss
  22. University of Montreal, School of Optometry — Marilou Paquet & Nicolas Blais
  23. University of Pikeville, Kentucky College of Optometry — Chelsey Curry & Laura Keith
  24. University of Waterloo, School of Optometry and Vision Science — Cedrick Mah & Xiaojing Katrina Li
  25. Western University of Health Sciences College of Optometry — Aruj Ali & Jacqueline Reyes