Jasmine Bertschy
With her first year under her belt, 2025 Council Scholarship recipient Jasmine Bertschy says she’s ready for just about anything college has to throw at her. Jasmine is attending UW – Whitewater at Rock County, where she is pursuing a degree in Psychology with the hope of one day becoming a mental health counselor. But more than just getting good grades, Jasmine says her first year has given her confidence in herself. “When I lost my vision at 15, I didn’t think I would be able to do things on my own,” Jasmine says. “Realizing that I can pursue a college degree and do things independently has really boosted my confidence.”
One way Jasmine is growing her confidence is by learning how to manage her time effectively, a skill she will use for the rest of her life. In high school, she was used to teachers working around her schedule. But when she goes to take tests in the disability center on campus, she can’t just drop in when it’s convenient. “You really need to work with disability center staff and schedule your time with them,” Jasmine says. “Thankfully, I’ve gotten really good at managing my time!”
Jasmine expects to complete her undergraduate studies in about two years and plans to then pursue a Master’s degree. As a young teen, she wanted to be a pediatrician. But after losing her vision, she decided on a different way to help kids. “I lost hope that I’d be able to do anything after losing my vision,” Jasmine says. “But after I met with a really great professor, they got me hooked on psychology. I like being able to meet people one-on-one and help just by talking with them. It’s encouraging to me that people can be helped in ways other than with x-rays and medical tests.”
By earning some college credits while still in high school, Jasmine was able to take on less college debt and get a head start toward her degree. The Council Scholarship, which will cover nearly an entire semester of tuition, will also help keep the financial burden of attending college more manageable. “It means a lot to me that the Council is supporting students with vision loss to pursue their career goals,” Jasmine says.
Jasmine has no regrets about her college career so far. “I think every student with vision loss should pursue a higher education if they want to,” Jasmine says. “College is a time for exploration, so even if you don’t know exactly what you want to do with your life yet, you will find something that you love.”
The Council has been awarding scholarships to postsecondary students who are blind or low vision for decades. You can find more information about our scholarship program at WCBlind.org/Events/Scholarships.