Blind Volin Student Earns Prestigious National Scholarship

Posted by John Gaskins, Dakota News Now

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (Dakota News Now) – A high school graduate from Volin was one of just 10 students in the nation to receive a $10,000 scholarship from the Lighthouse Guild.

The nonprofit helps the blind and visually impaired.

Jack Freeburg started to excel because of his impairment, not despite it. Growing up, he played football, basketball, baseball and golf while also helping on his family farm. When he was 12 years old, however, he discovered he had a rare visual impairment called Stargardt disease.

“His eyes progressively got worse for some time,” said Jack’s mother Beth Freeburg.

Jack isn’t completely blind, but his central vision is extremely blurry. So, he had to give up the sports that he loved.

”It was just like getting to a point where it was unsafe for me and unsafe for the people that I was playing with. My life changed,” said Jack.

That didn’t stop Jack from living life.

”He was able to thrive instead of just sitting around, sulking, thinking, you know, I’m going to lose my vision. He actually responded,” said Beth.

“I got into running, track and cross country, and I really enjoyed it,” said Jack.

Jack became Vermillion High School’s captain in both track and cross country. He qualified for state multiple times and excelled in school.

”His teachers love him. His friends love him. He’s a good kid. He was the treasurer of the Vermillion High School student government. He was the treasurer National Honors Society,” said Beth.

This all led the Lighthouse Guild to select him as one of 10 college-bound students in the nation to receive a $10,000 scholarship.

”What we were so inspired by Jack was how he faced the obstacles that came to him from his vision impairment. He took them on,” said Dr. Calvin Roberts of the Lighthouse Guild.

Jack’s extended family can also see something special in him.

”I would say Jack is very resilient. I’ve always said he’s very interesting because he knows things that a lot of people don’t know his age,” said Jack’s grandmother, Amy Freeburg.

He took an interest in the stock market and became known as “the stock guy” at school.

”I wanted to outcompete people in the ways that I can, so I decided one of those ways was to be able to start really saving money,” said Jack.

Jack will major in finance at Notre Dame, where both his parents both attended.

”You need to live life to the fullest, let’s say. You just need to keep pushing and do what you want, and don’t let other people tell you what you can and cannot do,” said Jack.