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.
More About Noam

Noam’s scholarship honors optometry students who recognize and actively address mental health challenges within their academic journey and the broader optometry profession. Awarded annually on May 11th, it seeks to support those who demonstrate both awareness and intentional action in promoting mental wellness.

The scholarship provides a minimum of $1,000 annually to at least one recipient, with award amounts and the number of recipients determined by funds raised and the strength of the applicant pool.

Complete application details, selection criteria, and submission guidelines are available through Bold.org.

SCHOLARSHIP PAGE

Scholarship Winners

  • SOUTHERN COLLEGE OF OPTOMETRY

    DOCTORAL DEGREE PROGRAM 2025-2029

    Kylie’s essay introduced her own mental health journey and her motivation to become an optometrist. She is enrolled in the same optometry college that Noam attended, and they even worked together at a clinic in Carlsbad, CA, where Noam offered her both sound advice and workplace levity.

    “After knowing Dr. Nicholson only in a work and professional setting, the thing that struck me most about www.NoamNicholson.com was learning about his passion for comedy and Seinfeld. I don’t think it is surprising; he was a very witty person with a fantastic delivery of jokes.

    I remember at the gender reveal party for Dr. Raja, we all suggested names for either a boy or a girl and Noam wrote a silly one like “Butch” for a girl with such serious conviction it made everyone laugh.

    I think of him very often and he remains in my memory a generous and incredibly intelligent and funny person. I can’t begin to imagine what he was battling and it’s a truly devastating loss. He had such a genuine soul.”

    - Kylie Brooks

  • MCPHS COLLEGE OF OPTOMETRY

    DOCTORAL DEGREE PROGRAM

    Grace captured us with her story and ambition. We are proud to support this young family with multiple kids, a military veteran husband, and a strong mother building a promising future.

    We also recognize and appreciate that Grace is entering Optometry school a bit older than her classmates - same as Noam.

    “Dear Lift Every Voice Today,

    I'm filled with gratitude for being chosen as the recipient of the Noam Nicholson Memorial Scholarship. It truly means so much to be recognized for sharing Noam Nicholson’s passion for optometry, and I'm honored to carry on Noam's legacy through this scholarship.

    Receiving this award makes a world of difference as I start my journey at MCPHS College of Optometry. Thanks to your support, I can fully focus on my studies and clinical experiences without the weight of financial worry.

    This generosity is allowing me to pursue my dream of becoming an optometrist who provides compassionate, patient centered care.

    My dream is to positively impact lives by offering not just vision care, but also empathy and empowerment to those who need it most. I want to pay forward the support I’ve received by uplifting others, just as you do through your mission to preserve stories, culture, and meaningful experiences.

    Your kindness and commitment inspire me to make a difference and write my own story of service. Thank you for believing in me and helping me move closer to my goals. I hope to honor Noam Nicholson’s memory through the work I do.

    Thank you, Grace Hamm”

  • SOUTHERN COLLEGE OF OPTOMETRY

    DOCTORAL DEGREE PROGRAM 2024-2028

    Shea impressed us so much with her awareness of mental health challenges in Optometry school that we created a 2nd 2026 award just for her. She is also enrolled in the same optometry college that Noam attended and has fantastic ideas of how to better support the student experience. We hope Shea pursues those objective, just as Noam had planned.

    “Through my own mental health struggles in optometry school, I've formed a new perspective on mental health in optometry. I feel that schools can provide more easily accessible support, more frequent check-ins with new students, and provide courses in-school and beyond on what addressing mental health looks like as a doctor of optometry.

    I strongly believe that honoring those who, like Noam, lost their battle, means that we learn to address these issues for those that come after. I believe that all of these ideas could help new doctors of optometry learn to cope in ways that could save lives.”

    - Shea Franklin

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.

Make a donation.

Make sure to include correct contact info so we can send you a donation receipt and send program 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!

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 FAQs

  • This scholarship is primarily for current enrolled optometry students in WA, CA, or TN.

  • 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.