The Seeing Eye awards Puppy-Raiser Scholarship to two devoted teens

Two local teens received scholarships from The Seeing Eye for raising several puppies for the world-famous dog guide school. Robert Texel, 17, of Wantage and Kayla Macerino, 18, of Highland Lakes, each received $1,000 scholarships that were mailed directly to the schools where they study. Robert’s scholarship check was sent to Sussex County Community College, where he plans to major in secondary education. Kayla also plans to major in secondary education, but at Seton Hall University, and her scholarship check will be mailed there. The students were congratulated by James Kutsch, president of The Seeing Eye, among the 70 puppy raisers who received scholarships on Family Day, an annual celebration for puppy raisers and their families held at the Morristown campus on Aug. 17. Robert and Kayla have both been puppy raisers as members of the Seeing Eye/4-H club called Love on a Leash in Sussex County, Robert for four years, and Kayla for six. In this capacity, they taught their puppies basic obedience, attended local puppy club meetings once a month, exposed their puppies to a variety of social situations and provided them with love and companionship. After a year and a half, each puppy is returned to The Seeing Eye for its formal training. “Young adults like Robert and Kayla are special because they provide a rock solid foundation for a Seeing Eye dog’s formal training,” said Christine Dickson, the Linda Feinne-Roth manager of Puppy Placement for The Seeing Eye. “We applaud the extraordinary commitment of Robert and Kayla and their fellow scholarship winners that has enabled blind people to lead more independent lives,” said Kutsch. “Like the puppies I have raised to become good, strong, obedient Seeing Eye dogs, I hope to help the children of our future become self-sufficient adults,” said Robert. “The most important thing to me in life is that each person uses his or her ability to help others in any way possible,” said Kayla. Each year, The Seeing Eye recognizes exceptional puppy raisers by presenting them with $1,000 college scholarships. Recipients have raised at least two dogs, have demonstrated a high level of academic achievement and are active in their communities. The Seeing Eye, founded in 1929, is the nation’s premier dog guide school and has matched nearly 14,000 specially trained dog guides with blind people. Today, there are approximately 1,800 active graduates of The Seeing Eye who live and work throughout the world and about 800 Seeing Eye volunteer puppy raisers working in association with local 4-H clubs in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland. For more information on The Seeing Eye or how to become a puppy raiser, call 973-539-4425 ext. 1769.