Anna Heur, a recent graduate of La Cañada High School, has been honored with the prestigious Gold Award Scholarship, reserved for one exemplary Girl Scout who demonstrates exceptional leadership and dedication to creating lasting community impact. This recognition has earned her a $10,000 scholarship in support of her future pursuits.
Heur’s Gold Award Project, titled “Steps to Specs,” addressed the critical issue of limited access to glasses for those in need. This disparity is particularly evident in Los Angeles, where insufficient insurance coverage makes glasses unaffordable for thousands of residents.
Heur aimed to bridge this gap by creating a free glasses program in collaboration with Los Angeles General Medical Center. The project involved a meticulous process of collecting more than 4,000 pairs of gently used glasses, building an online catalog capable of matching available glasses with specific prescriptions and distributing the glasses to patients in need. Each patient’s unique story highlighted the impact of the project, from restoring the joy of reading after years of struggle, to enabling individuals to return to work.
“I distributed 1,000 pairs of glasses, something that would not have been possible without the generous glasses donations from the people in my town,” Heur said. “Each pair distributed is incredibly special to me. Witnessing the heartfelt gratitude of patients who could see clearly with their new glasses reminded me of the reason I began this project.”
Heur is looking forward to attending the eight-year Siena/Albany Medical School’s BS/MD program and continuing to help others as a physician.
First published in the August 10 print issue of the Outlook Valley Sun.
