Dr. Noam Nicholson, O.D.

Memorial Scholarship

Raising awareness and engagement around mental health challenges in optometry.

Who was Noam?

Dr. Noam Nicholson, O.D. was born May 11th, 1989 in Boston, MA, but grew up mostly in Seattle, WA.

As a child, Noam was artistic, creative, and sweet. As a young adult, Noam became known for his sense of humor an skills in the kitchen.

After studying sciences at University of Washington and interning at an optometry clinic, Noam found a passion in eye care and decided to attend Southern College of Optometry to become a Doctor of Optometry with a focus in dry eye research and care.

Graduating Cum Laude from SCO in 2023, Noam moved to the San Diego area to begin his career. He was hired at an excellent clinic in Carlsbad, CA and quickly developed a reputation as a talented and well-respected optometrist.

Most people didn’t realize that Noam had battled mental health challenges for many years; which were exacerbated by the stresses of studying at SCO, especially during the 2020 covid lockdowns. He became driven to improve mental health awareness and practices both at college and in the eye care industry.

Though Noam and his family tried everything they could to ease his challenges and foster stability; it became too much to bear, and tragically Noam took his own life on July 15th, 2024.

Noam lived and died a beloved son, brother, friend, and optometrist.

This scholarship will be awarded annually on May 11th to one or more optometry students who demonstrate a level of awareness and intention related to mental health challenges during studies or the Optometry industry in general.

Criteria, application materials, and info on the selection process will be made available in October of the previous year.

The award amount and number of awards each year will depend on the funds raised in the previous year and the number of qualified applicants, with a minimum of one $1000 scholarship annually.

Applicants

  • ✽

    Are you a currently enrolled student of optometry/eye-care?

  • ✽

    Do you have any thoughts or ideas about improving mental health conditions for eye-care students or professionals?

  • ✽

    To receive application materials in October, join the mailing list with this link

    Sign Up

Donors

  • ✽

    Your tax-deductible donation will help support the mental health of optometry students.

  • ✽

    Your tax-deductible donation will encourage the optometry industry to take mental health seriously, spreading awareness and progressive ideas.

  • ✽

    We appreciate any size donation. If you are able to make a donation over $1000, please contact us to coordinate and help save on 3rd party transaction fees.

    DONATE

Make a donation.

Make sure to include correct contact info so we can send you a donation receipt and update you with award updates.

If you’d like your donation to be used 100% for the Noam Nicholson Memorial Scholarship, just type “Scholarship” or “Noam” in the intended project box of the donation form.

For security and efficiency, we use Stripe to process donations.

Your donations are greatly appreciated!

 FAQs

  • This scholarship is primarily for current enrolled optometry students at any North American accredited optometry school.

  • No. There are no fees involved at any stage for applicants.

  • If you indicate this program in your donation form, 100% of your donation will be used for this award program.

    Once we have raised enough to establish an endowment to keep this award, we will look to expand the reach and number of awards with any surplus donations.

  • The short answer is YES. We are a recognized 501c3 nonprofit and most donations are likely tax deductible.

    That said, we are not tax advisors and would always encourage you to check in with your tax preparer to confirm how a donation to a 501c3 will affect your reporting.