Riverwood Grad Earns Scholarship from Notable Nonprofit

Elliot Lapp, a 2025 graduate from Riverwood International Charter School, recently won a $10,000 scholarship from Lighthouse Guild in New York City, an organization dedicated to providing support for the blind and visually impaired.

Lapp is one of 17 students across the country awarded such a scholarship this year.

The scholarships are based on academic excellence and merit, with the goal of helping students who are legally blind make a successful transition to higher education. Former recipients have gone on to successful careers as nurses, attorneys, teachers, engineers, chemists, composers, musicians, and neuroscientists.

Lapp, who is now legally blind, was diagnosed with Stargardt Disease – a genetic, degenerative condition which causes significant or near-complete loss of central vision over time. It is, so far, completely incurable.

“At first, it was difficult to come to terms with a lifelong handicap,” said Lapp. “My vision decreased rapidly and the easiest of tasks became barriers. Reading texts on my phone, missing steps and falling down the stairs became challenges.”

He also mentioned it meant losing some independence, like the ability to drive, just as his friends were gaining theirs. Despite these losses, Lapp did find there was something to be attained through struggling with the disorder.

“When I lost my vision, I didn’t gain super hearing or the ability to taste individual ingredients in a recipe,” said Lapp. “I gained empathy. While I might not be able to read facial expressions, I am very good at reading others’ emotions. When I attend my high school football games, I cannot see what is happening on the field. I simply react based on how the crowd reacts, but this is my favorite part of the football game environment along with being surrounded by my friends.”

Similarly, Lapp has not let his disability prevent him from pursuing his passions, like working as a counselor at Camp Barney Medintz this summer, or his education, to which this award is a testament. In the fall, he will attend the University of Georgia, where he plans to study finance.

“As a visually impaired student, I’ve often had to navigate challenges that many of my peers don’t face,” said Lapp, “but I’ve learned to turn those challenges into motivation. This award reminds me that my hard work is seen and valued, and it pushes me to keep striving toward my goals.”