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New Rochelle’s Spenser Caitlin White Wins Eye-Bank Scholarship

NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. – The 2015 winner of The Eye-Bank for Sight Restoration’s Young Ambassador Scholarship is New Rochelle High School senior and entrepreneur Spenser Caitlin White.

(Left) Spenser White, New Rochelle High School Class of 2015, receives a $1,000 scholarship award from The Eye-Bank for Sight Restoration's Director of Communications Noel Mick.

(Left) Spenser White, New Rochelle High School Class of 2015, receives a $1,000 scholarship award from The Eye-Bank for Sight Restoration's Director of Communications Noel Mick.

Photo Credit: Contributed

The $1,000 annual scholarship was established in memory of Christopher Nordquist, who died at 2 years old, and gave the gift of sight to two people as an eye donor. White was awarded the scholarship for successfully promoting the eye, organ and tissue donation message at various community events and for signing up more than 30 New Yorkers in the Donate Life Registry.

According to White, she was inspired by her grandfather, a veteran who was very pleased to learn that many cancer patients can still be eye donors and leave the gift of sight. This motivated her to take action to create greater awareness about donation by conducting tabling events in her community. In addition, she decided to bake cupcakes decorated in the form of eyes for the events.

Working in tandem with New Rochelle Holy Family Church, which she attends, White used the opportunity of the church’s annual Blood Drive to encourage congregants to sign-up in the Donate Life Registry and “Like” The Eye-Bank’s Facebook page. She was successful in enrolling 13 people.

White has been accepted at Johnson & Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island, where she plans to pursue studies in advertising and marketing communications.

The Young Ambassador Scholarship is awarded to a qualifying applicant under the age of 25 who is entering or is currently enrolled in college, and has worked to increase public awareness of eye, organ and tissue donation.

The Eye-Bank for Sight Restoration is a private, not-for-profit organization founded in 1944, whose mission is to restore sight by providing cornea tissue for sight-saving transplant surgery, and ocular tissue for research into treatments and cures of other blinding eye diseases. 

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