VSP Ventures and UC Berkeley Herbert Wertheim School of Optometry Award Monica Thu Do 2025 Hisaka Memorial Scholarship

RANCHO CORDOVA, Calif. – VSP^® Ventures, in partnership with UC Berkeley Herbert Wertheim School of Optometry and Vision Science (UCBSO), announced today that Monica Thu Do is the recipient of the 2025 Dr. Craig Hisaka Memorial scholarship. 

This $2,500 scholarship is awarded annually to a UCBSO student who has participated in the VSP Business Management Immersion Program (BMIP). To be selected, aspiring recipients must apply for the award by submitting an essay describing their experience and learnings from the BMIP. Thu Do, class of 2027, was selected as the 2025 winner based on her thoughtful perspective of the experience. 

“As an organization supporting and investing in optometry’s next generation, we’re proud to sponsor the Hisaka Memorial Scholarship,” said VSP Ventures President Kathleen Steele. “We congratulate this year’s recipient, Monica Thu Do, and have no doubt she is on a great path towards a successful career in private practice optometry.” 

Dr. Hisaka, the founding OD of Brookside Optometric Group, now a VSP Ventures practice, was a strong advocate of private practice and enjoyed mentoring optometry students to help them achieve their goals of becoming practice owners. Brookside Optometry was also the first practice to be part of the BMIP. 

“The BMIP gave me a deeper sense of connection to the optometry community and opened my eyes to the realities and rewards of private practice—from handling business operations to building strong relationships with patients and staff,” said Monica Thu Do, a 2nd-year UCBSO student and recipient of the 2025 Hisaka Memorial Scholarship. “This experience has not only expanded my understanding of private practice, but also motivated me to stay engaged and involved throughout my career.”

Within the last 10 years, VSP Vision^™ has provided more than $4 million in scholarship support to nearly 1,200 optometry students and will award 70 more scholarships in 2025. To learn more, visit https://www.vspproviderhub.com/scholarships.html 

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About VSP Vision
At VSP Vision, our purpose is to empower human potential through sight. As the first national not-for-profit vision benefits company, this is what drives everything we do. For 70 years, VSP has been the leader in health-focused vision care. Every day, the people that power our complementary businesses across vision benefits, eye care services, eyewear solutions, and practice solutions, work together to create a world where everyone can bring their best vision to life. That means providing affordable access to eye care and eyewear for more than 85 million members through a network of more than 42,000 doctors. It also means expanding access to vision care to those disadvantaged by income, distance, or disaster through VSP Vision Eyes of Hope^®. To date, more than 4 million people in need have received access to no-cost eye care and eyewear through one of our Eyes of Hope programs. Learn more about how we’re reinvesting in greater vision, health, and opportunities for all at vspvision.com.