ST. PAUL, Minn.—The Joint Commission on Allied Health Personnel in Ophthalmology (JCAHPO) Education and Research Foundation has named Corinthia “Cory” Worrell the 2013 recipient of the Virginia S. Boyce Humanitarian Award. She will receive the award at JCAHPO’s annual meeting in New Orleans, Friday, Nov. 15, 2013. The award was established in 2000 in honor of Virginia S. Boyce, CEO of Prevent Blindness America from 1972 to 1982, who gave 18 years of volunteer service to JCAHPO and its foundation.

Worrell was chosen for her years of volunteerism and activism and her efforts to improve the quality of life for visually impaired children. After serving in the U.S. military and moving into the field of ophthalmology in 2007, Worrell became involved with the Vision Resource Center in Cape Fear, N.C., in 2011. With the Vision Resource Center, she organized a “Youth Gathering” in October 2011 to take low vision and blind children on a field trip to teach them new skills and improve self-confidence.

Since then, the Vision Resource Center has brought low vision children on a variety of field experiences, including bowling, horseback riding, deep-sea fishing, surfing, and self-defense classes. Worrell and her colleagues are now expanding these vision-impaired youth programs, creating a “Transitional Program” for children ages 14 and up and planning an additional program for low vision individuals between the ages of 19 and 30.

“We could not be more pleased to present this year's Boyce Award to Corinthia Worrell,” Melvin I. Freeman, MD, chair of the foundation, stated. “She embodies the very spirit of service and generosity towards low vision individuals and the eyecare community as a whole that we, the foundation, represent and support.”

“I believe there is no higher honor than a humanitarian award, as this is someone who selflessly serves to help others. I cannot put into words the gratitude and honor it is to be among the Virginia S. Boyce recipients,” Worrell said. “I am truly inspired everyday by the accomplishments and challenges my visually impaired kids have overcome. They have taught me patience, compassion, and a desire to aim high and never give up.”