A legally blind Hunter College High School student has won one of 16 scholarships to attend college this fall given by Lighthouse Guild for the blind.
Arthur Murray of The Bronx, who graduates with the 2024 class on June 14, will use the $10,000 scholarship to attend Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, N.Y.
“I aspire to become a lawyer and I want to work in an area of law such as medical ethics or patent law. I’m fascinated by the interplay between history, law, and science,” Murray said. “It is my greatest hope to give back to the communities that have helped build my confidence in my abilities both in and out of school. Organizations like the Lighthouse Guild have shown me how to break down barriers and that is what I hope to do as a lawyer. I want to help people get higher quality care, more easily, and more fairly.”
Lighthouse Guild scholarships are based on strong academic accomplishment and merit to help students who are legally blind make a successful transition to college and graduate school. The 2024 recipients will be attending some of the nation’s most competitive universities.
“Students who are visually impaired can face particular challenges as they pursue their higher education goals,” said Dr. Calvin W. Roberts, president and CEO of Lighthouse Guild. “We are pleased to support these outstanding students and provide them with a clearer pathway to success in their chosen careers. I congratulate them on their academic achievements and wish them all the best in the future.”
Since 2005, Lighthouse Guild’s Scholarship Program has awarded over $2.8 million in college scholarships to students who are legally blind. Former scholarship recipients have gone on to a variety of careers, including as nurses, attorneys, teachers, engineers, chemists, composers, musicians, neuroscientists, social workers, business owners, investors, epidemiologists, physician assistants, physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech therapists, journalists, and computer scientists.
Hunter College High School is one of two publicly funded schools for gifted and talented students operated under the auspices of Hunter College. It has produced a panoply of American luminaries, including composer, lyricist, and actor Lin-Manuel Miranda; actor and writer Ruby Dee; Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan; and poet and activist Audre Lorde.
