Honoring NECO's 2026 Scholarship Recipients - New England College of Optometry

Honoring NECO's 2026 Scholarship Recipients - New England College of Optometry
Skip to main site navigation
Honoring NECO’s 2026 Scholarship Recipients
Published
April 15, 2026
Awards
Student Achievement
On Thursday, April 16, 2026, the NECO community gathered for the 2026 Scholarship Ceremony. Award recipients were recognized for their distinguished leadership, scholarship, compassion, and clinical expertise.
Esther Bandoo-Gomes, Director of Financial Aid, hosted the program, with NECO President & CEO Dr. Howard Purcell ’84, and Vice President Dr. Erik Weissberg ’97 serving as co-hosts.
The 2026 scholarship award recipients are as follows:
President’s Leadership Team Scholarship
The scholarship recipient was selected by the President’s Leadership Team and must demonstrate exemplary academic standing at the time of the award, actively engaged in service to the NECO community, demonstrates commitment to social responsibility and display leadership qualities including communication skills,  empathy, confidence, integrity, humility, and optimism. This year’s recipient is
Elizabeth Deane
Beider Moral Obligation Scholarship
Warren H. Beider, OD ’26, graduated when he was only 20-years-old and practiced optometry for over 50 years. To honor his alma mater, he created this scholarship to honor academically strong students. This year’s award recipients are:
Sayeh Ahadi, Mason Bailey, Elizabeth Carlson, Anna Darius, Michael Dubien, Anya Kopyra, Yashvi Patel,
and
Sarah Scott
Edith & Erich Heymans Scholarship
This scholarship was created by Edith and Erich Heymans to honor the former NECO Business Manager’s fondness for the College. Mr. Heymans was a German immigrant who worked at NECO in the late 1960’s as Business Manager. Those selected to receive this award exhibit high scholastic standing with integrity, dedication, and a high level of accuracy. This year’s recipients are
Sayeh Ahadi, Shelby Laitipaya,
and
Stephanie Sujak
Israel & Sylvia Grossman Scholarship
This scholarship is awarded to a student who has demonstrated academic achievement and who is likely to be active in the profession and in the Alumni Association. This year’s recipient is
Kelli McInnis
Drs. Clifford and Mary Scott Scholarship
The Drs. Clifford and Mary Scott Scholarship was established in 2020 by the NECO Board of Trustees to recognize and honor five decades of distinguished institutional service by an accomplished and esteemed member of the NECO community. This endowed scholarship fund benefits exemplary students enrolled in the OD program who exhibit both academic excellence and extraordinary contributions to the NECO community and/or clinical system. This year’s recipients are
Gabriella Dudek
and
Shelby Laitipaya
Dr. John Carter Scholarship
This scholarship was created to honor Dr. John Carter and his long, distinguished career in optometry and optometric education, including teaching Ocular Pharmacology, Ocular Myology, and Sensory and Motor Anomalies of the Eye and Vision. This year’s recipient is
Kristen Andrews
Klein Family Scholarship
The Klein Family Scholarship was originally meant to honor the memory of Dr. Herman L. Klein, a descendant of the founder of the College and former president of the Board of Trustees. The name of the award was expanded to include the entire family because so many of its members were trustees, officers, faculty, or staff. This year’s recipient is
Lauren Woodward
Dr. Maureen Hanley Memorial Scholarship
The Dr. Maureen Hanley Memorial Scholarship was established to memorialize Maureen Hanley, a cherished NECO faculty member who dedicated more than four decades to shaping the future of optometry before her passing on March 8, 2025.The scholarship supports students who share her unique passion and commitment, keeping her legacy alive among future generations of optometrists and carrying forward the compassion, dedication, and love that Dr. Hanley shared with everyone she met. This year’s recipient is
Alapika Jatkar.
Dr. Jean Lank Memorial Scholarship
Dr. Lank was a registered nurse who made a career change and graduated from NECO in 1987. Sadly, she passed away only two years after graduation after an accident. Her family funded the scholarship in her memory. This year’s recipients are
Asma Rasheed
and
Helen Sun
Dr. Robert A. and Eleanor Titelbaum OD Award
This award goes to a student enrolled in the four-year program who made a career change to optometry and who demonstrates clinical excellence. This year’s recipient is
Elizabeth Deane
Rose & Warren Gilford, Dr. Arnelda Levine, and Dr. Janet Mechanic OD1 Award
This award is funded by a gift from Rose and Warren Gilford to honor the lives, distinguished professional achievement, and exemplary service of their friends, Dr. Levine and Dr. Mechanic, who were proud to be forerunners in optometry. The award is meant to celebrate talented and qualified students entering the profession. This year’s recipient is
Emily Zhong
Harry & Sara Pildes Scholarship
The Pildes family created this scholarship in honor of their parents and is awarded to a first year student in the four-year program. This year’s recipient is
Hetagna Modi
Dr. Monthe N. Kofos Scholarship
A gift from Dr. Kofos made this award possible. The fund serves as a vehicle to assist students of optometry at NECO and is awarded to those with demonstrated academic achievement and the potential for making a significant contribution to the optometric profession. This year’s recipients are
Michael Dubien
and
Anna Kopyra
Dr. Charles Robert Soltes Scholarship
This scholarship was created to honor Major Charles Robert Soltes, OD ’98, the first optometrist ever killed in action while serving on active duty in the U.S. military. This award was established by faculty, staff, and friends of the College in his memory to honor his loyalty, integrity, and compassion for his patients. This year’s recipient is
Sofia Segrera Rojas
Dr. Richard Laudon Scholarship
This scholarship was created by Dr. Richard Laudon ’75 and is awarded to a final-year OD student who plans to pursue a career in the specialty area of binocular vision with an emphasis on vision therapy. This year’s recipient is
Balraj Malhi
American Optometric Foundation’s Dr. J. Pat Cummings Scholarship
The American Optometric Foundation award is offered to a student who best demonstrates the ideal eye care standards of practice, has demonstrated achievements in academic performance and extracurricular activities, professional pursuits, patient involvement, community service, and volunteerism. This year’s recipient is
Nina Le
Dr. Joseph & Judith Ann Feldberg Scholarship
This half-tuition scholarship is made possible by the generosity of the late Dr. Joseph and Judith Ann Feldberg and is offered to third- or fourth-year students with the highest GPAs.
This year’s recipients are
Serena Beri, Georgia Fossett, Michael Huang, Raymond Su,
and
Kelly Wilson
Dr. John S. White Scholarship
Dr. John Steven White, OD (SUNY Optometry, Class of 1980) served his community of Paramus, NJ as a local optometrist for 40 years.
Dr. White was endlessly generous and took great pride in taking care of his patients. He would be happy to know his legacy continues to help future optometrists. This scholarship
is offered by his family in his memory to a fourth-year optometry student who has demonstrated a commitment to service, generosity, and kindness in their future optometry career. This year’s recipient is
Tina Tran
Dr. Otto Hochstadt Scholarship
This award was created by Otto Hochstadt to assist worthy students in their pursuit of an optometric education at NECO. Dr. Hochstadt emigrated from Vienna in 1939, where he was a trained cardiologist and brought this expertise in medical sciences as a faculty member at the College. He helped NECO gain approval to grant a bachelor’s degree and subsequently, an OD degree. This year’s recipient is
Matthew Berlin
NECO Alumni Association Scholarship
Each year, the NECO Alumni Association selects scholarship recipients based on record of service to the College and/or profession, and the potential for continued active participation in the Alumni Association, demonstrated community service, and academic performance. This year’s recipients are:
Samantha Bishop, Elizabeth Carlson, Jimmy Choy, Annalise Lubas, Balraj Malhi, Anne Manshi, Brooke Ritchie, Jainam Shah,
and
LeeAnn Snuffer
Sebastian Polizzi, OD ’67 Scholarship
Created in 2021 in memory of Dr. Sebastian Polizzi, Class of 1967, this award is given each year to a third-year student who combines both knowledge and technical skills with compassion and caring for patients. Preference is given to a student from New York, where Dr. Polizzi lived and practiced for over 40 years. He owned two private practices where he practiced general optometry and cared for local families. Dr. Polizzi practiced full optometric care, from medical optometry to vision therapy to specialized contact lens fits. He was an active member in the local AOA chapter. This year’s recipient is
Jonathan Hernandez
Dr. Mark Varnum, Class of 1987 Memorial Scholarship
Dr. Mark Varnum is remembered as a gentle spirit with unwavering compassion. As both a dedicated optometrist and a treasured friend, Mark touched countless lives with his kindness, generosity, and grace. The Dr. Mark Varnum, Class of 1987 Memorial Scholarship continues his legacy of care by supporting students who share his passion for helping others. This year’s recipients are
Ginger Prevost
and
Patricia Shortall
Dr. Kathleen Zinzer McCarthy Scholarship
The Dr. Kathleen Zinzer McCarthy Scholarship was established by Kathleen’s family, friends, and fellow NECO alumni. This scholarship commemorates her life, courageous battle with cancer, and her lasting impact on pediatric optometry and binocular vision education and support.
This year’s recipient is
Maeve Burke
Wallace F. Molinari Scholarship
This award was established by Dr. Joseph Molinari, and is given to an entering student based on academic achievement and leadership. This year’s recipient is
Julianna Miller
Dr. Foster Namias Scholarship
The Class of 1950 initiated this scholarship to honor Dr. Namias and his 50-year tenure at NECO. The awardees were selected because of their outstanding academic performance. This year recipients are:
Kristen Andrews, Danielle D’Ascoli, Brianna Donlon, Georgia Fossett, Catherine Liu, Kaylen Schmiedge, Shailja Shailja,
and
Samuel Soares
Learn more about us.
Request Information
Apply
Take a virtual tour of NECO