2020 Annual Report

CSTEP to Success

Under-represented College Students Take CSTEP to Success at SUNY College of Optometry

Although SUNY Optometry’s CSTEP curriculum was forced to move online amid the pandemic, the virtual platform has proven just as valuable and vital for all involved. “Programs like ours look to support under- represented minorities and under-resourced students from all over the New York region. While many programs were canceled due to COVID-19, we were able to pivot and offer a fully remote experience that was extremely successful based on our participant feedback.” —Dr. Quy H. Nguyen, Executive Director of Career Planning and Development Owaoma’s CSTEP classmate and senior at SUNY Farmingdale, Dixie Vasquez, agrees the program is a source of motivation and direction. “As a minority woman, CSTEP made me certain that no matter your background, this institution will do anything in their power to help you.” Quy H. Nguyen, OD, whose leadership earned SUNY Optometry’s CSTEP a near $1 million grant in support of recruitment and advancement of minority and economically disadvantaged students in optometric practice, understands the program's ability to unearth hidden potential. “We hope that our pipeline programs, mentorship, and increased support of these students will help expand representation within our OD workforce who will serve as role models for their communities and future generations.”

With sights set on expanding diversity in the science and health care fields, the Collegiate Science

& Technology Entry Program (CSTEP) at SUNY College of Optometry brought together 37 minority and economically disadvantaged college students from across the New York State region and beyond in early summer to learn about a career in the optometric profession. Combining Education and Empowerment Remote access allowed CSTEP at SUNY Optometry to host a greater number of students this year, and allowed students from outside of the state to audit the internship program, including those from California, Texas, Connecticut, and New Jersey. "The discussion of study strategies helped me find weaknesses in my techniques and how to refine them,” said SUNY Farmingdale senior, Uchenna Uwaoma, who plans to pursue a career as a physician assistant. “The program and its faculty helped open my eyes to other fields in medicine and encouraged me not to give up on my true goal, no matter how difficult it may seem."

SUNY Optometry Class of 2024

17 URM students

96 enrolled

35 class members received 58 awards totaling $255,204

2020 Annual Report 11