Vince Domingo, 2020 Significant Challenge College Scholarship First Place Recipient
Vince Domigo, a recent graduate of Laguna Hills High School in Laguna Hills, CA, was named this year’s Significant Challenge College Scholarship Winner at the RSF Virtual Award Ceremony last month.
Vince was born with two rare eye disorders that caused profound visual impairment and misalignment. As a child, he faced ableism, bullying, and isolation due to his differences. After immigrating to the United States, and his parents subsequent divorce, Vince felt more isolated than ever before.
Vince, however, was committed to overcoming his fears and challenges. He was able to build connections in his community by studying psychology, and volunteering at Harris Care Centers, a nursing home for those with mental disabilities.
“Because of our mutual disabilities, the clients and I easily established congenial friendship,” writes Vince in his award-winning essay. “Volunteering allowed me to see the possible usage of psychology to help other people (not just the disabled community) who suffer from mental traumas, challenges, and illnesses.”
Vince has been a dedicated and innovative volunteer at Harris Care Centers’ Ancona facility for the past five years. His supervisor, Saiyad Shamir shares that “Vince has increased the overall quality of our facility over the years… I think Vince is a person with a dream and the right heart and passion to realize it.”
A panel of judges from around the country selected Vince Domingo as the first place winner from over 1,800 applicants. In recognition of Vince’s positive spirit, leadership qualities, and outstanding academic achievement, Richie’s Spirit Foundation was thrilled to present Vince with the $3,000 scholarship, which will support his education at University of California, Santa Barbara.