Meet our 2022 Scholarship Recipient!

Brookside Optometric Group has presented a scholarship award to a deserving local senior every year since 2016. Every year, we continue to be amazed by the caliber of the students who are nominated.

We've chosen to run our scholarship a little different than most programs. Rather than asking students to enter by writing an essay, composing a poem, or standing on one leg while patting their head and whistling their favorite song, we ask teachers, coaches, scoutmasters, and other youth leaders to nominate a deserving student. We've been amazed at the results.

Each year, we receive nominations for high school seniors who are true role models. These are young adults who have dedicated themselves to their education, to their communities, and to their peers. Without exception, they are extremely hard workers who are driven to succeed, regardless of the obstacles. These students volunteer their time for their schools and communities. Many tutor other students, or mentor younger kids. Some have overcome incredible obstacles – driven to succeed in spite of the odds stacked against them.

Every generation worries about the younger generations that follow them. It's easy to see the flaws and focus on the bad apples, but the students who have participated in our scholarship program the last few years are proof that the future is in good hands.

Meet our 2022 Scholarship Winner: Priscila Alcaraz

Priscila grew up on the south side of Stockton, where she has been active in The Center, a neighborhood youth program. Living in a neighborhood where she was surrounded by drugs, gangs, and violence, Priscila has worked hard to succeed in spite of the challenges. She is a senior at Venture Academy, where she participates in the mock trial program and has won the respect of her teachers, coaches, and peers.

After graduation, Priscila plans to attend one of the five Universities that she's been accepted to. Her desire is to study psychology, with the goal of becoming a child psychologist. She says "To be able to help other people the way that I've been helped myself - and the way that I wish other people had been able to help me - is a huge goal of mine".

We got to learn more about Priscila when she sat down for a visit with Dr. Bob Melrose:

Congratulations Priscila! We're thrilled to be able to help you in this small way, and we wish you the best of luck at college and as you embark on the next phase of your remarkable journey!