Salus University has recently entered year two of a three-year $75,000 grant partnership with the Northeast Pennsylvania Lions Service Foundation (Lions Service Foundation).
The partnership between the Lions Service Foundation and Salus was established as an effort to reduce the shortage of education and rehabilitation professionals in blindness and low vision in the state of Pennsylvania.
The University receives $25,000 a year which is applied to conducting a needs survey as well as supporting student tuition to qualified students in good academic standing and who are Pennsylvania residents committed to providing services in the state post-graduation. This year, the recipients are Amy Castleberry ‘19BLVS and Aderonnke Koya ‘19BLVS.
To apply, students who are enrolled in the University’s College of Education and Rehabilitation Blindness and Low Vision Studies (BLVS) program submit an application that includes their resume, an essay, and a history of community involvement. In return for the grant money, Salus provides education about blindness and low vision by participating in the Lions state conventions.
“I am filled with immense gratitude for receiving this honor, the generous support from NEPALSF will not only help me to reach my academic goals and continue training with the incredible BLVS faculty but will also allow me to give back to the visually impaired local community through my volunteer work,” Castleberry said.
Castleberry is a model student, soon to be professional, that the partnership was intended for. Before attending Salus, she received her Master's degree in American Studies from University of Alabama and attended University of Oxford in Oxford, United Kingdom for a research honors program and continuing educational opportunities. She is currently pursuing a Master of Science degree in Orientation and Mobility with a Certificate in Visual Rehabilitation Therapy. After she graduates, she plans to continue her BLVS education and pursue a Certificate in Low Vision Rehabilitation.
Dr. Fabiana Perla, director of the University’s Orientation and Mobility Program, continues to find the partnership a perfect match as year two starts. “The mission and goals of the two organizations are very much in line with each other: more and better services for individuals with visual impairments,” she said.
