Join the University of Missouri Honors College as we welcome Andrew Leland, our 2024 Cherng Distinguished Scholar! Leland, who earned his master’s degree in journalism from the University of Missouri, started losing his sight while in high school as a result of retinitis pigmentosa, a progressive eye disease that leads to the deterioration of the retinas. His memoir, The Country of the Blind, documents his journey as he prepares for blindness.