Words of Wisdom to the Class of 2020 from Your Alumni Commun

Congratulations!

Words of Wisdom from Your Alumni Community

It certainly is a strange time to be living through - and unfortunately your last few months at SUNY is not what you had imagined or hoped it would be. But you will never forget it either! I hope one day you’ll be a successful OD, enjoying your career and your life, thinking back to this unprecedented time in your life when you had to stay inside, wash your hands while singing happy birthday twice, studying on-line, and learning the intricacies of zoom. Hang in there and congratulations on becoming an OD. The class of 2020 (how apropos!) will share a bond like no other because of your shared struggles and sacrifice. N. Ross, 1985

I was fortunate to have been part of an incredible group of people from the graduating SUNY Optometry Class of 1985. While current events somewhat tarnish the brightness of your graduation, accomplishments, and an encouraging future career in Optometry, the friendships, collaboration, and memories created with your classmates will never fade. Rely on those relationships when you need advice, encouragement, or even just a brief smile. Congratulations and keep looking to the future with 2020 vision!

Bernie Mullin, 1985

Congratulations Class of 20/20. Welcome to our family, The SUNYO Alumni Family. We are here for you! Anna Marie Fernandez, 1985

Congrats for making it through four (or more?) years of SUNY-O, especially in these strange and difficult times. I can’t wait for you guys to take over for me so I can retire!!

Daniel Berg, 1985

Welcome to the wonderful profession of optometry. I realize that these are tough times in which to graduate and start your careers, but things will get better. I encourage you to join your local optometric society and to join its Board of Directors. Also try to find a niche that separates you from the others, whether it’s VT, low vision, specialty contacts, or dry eye treatments. Get published! It’s nice to see your name in print and the journals would love to hear from you. Healthcare is changing as I write this. You will be practicing in a far different world than I did. But you will adapt and thrive. Stay optimistic (and optometric)!I’ve attached a page from my yearbook that has the words to Born to Refract, lyrics by Dr. William Curran (pictured in the lower right) and sung to the melody of Born to Run by Bruce Springsteen. Keep in mind the school was located at East 24th Street, near Madison Square park at that time and one of our teachers was Jerry Rapp. Enjoy!

Daniel Lack, 1980

Class of 2020- it’s finally your time! You have had the weirdest end to your tenure at SUNY. I know you all must be very disap- pointed to miss out on a lot of the commencement rituals, but you will always have a fun (maybe more memorable than fun) story to tell about how this virus impacted you. As you start your careers as optometrists, know that it is 100% normal to feel like you have forgotten everything you’ve ever learned. It’s normal to feel that you and you alone are completely responsible for your patient care. I promise- all of your classmates feel the same way. Never hesitate to reach out to your friends and mentors when you have a question or just want to bounce ideas off someone else. None of us know everything there is to know about optometry and having someone you can talk to is incredibly helpful. With time, your confidence will build up and you’ll be much more comfortable in your new doctor skin. The alumni community is here for you! Use us as tools for referrals, advice, and jobs. You’re now a SUNY educated optometrist- you’re going to do well!! Congratulations!!!! Katie Brogan, 2018

CONGRATULATIONS CLASS OF 2020!! You guys are troopers and have done an amazing job to get to where you are today. It’s been a stressful but fast 4 years and you guys have the most beautiful memories to bring with you on your next journey. You’ve honestly chosen a fantastic career path and I know each of you are going to find great pleasure and success in it. Always remember that everything works out and we just need to have faith that the universe is on our side :)

Jayswinder Kaur, 2019

Congratulations to the Class of 2020! You’ve gotten through four years of intense learning and we are all proud of your perseverance and dedication. Despite the FOMO you must be feeling for your fourth year and graduation being turned upside down, just remember that you’re joining an amazing community of ODs across the country who are excited to welcome you to the field! You’ve chosen an amazing career path that will bring you immense joy, hilarious stories, wonderful patient encounters, and a fulfilling work-life balance. You’re going to love it!

Ora Esfahani, 2016

Your education does not stop here. You will keep learning throughout your career!

Linda Zhao, 2014

The optometry class of 2020 will be the best ever for two reasons: 1.It’s 2020. Enough said. 2.Charles Darwin said so (“It is not the most intellectual of the species that survives; it is not the strongest that survives; but the species that survives is the one that is able best to adapt and adjust to the changing environment in which it finds itself.”)Telehealth isn’t new. Wearing PPE around patients isn’t new. Selling contact lenses on-line isn’t new. Yet, optometry historically has had DNA that caused practitioners to use any of the above, or for that matter, make any changes at glacial speed. Changes in optometry happen so slowly that outside forces that adapt and change faster than us continue to nibble away at our profession. The class of 2020 will stop that erosion and come out stronger because of it. In a matter of months, the COVID-19 pandemic forever changed the rules of practice and business and forced OD’s to reexamine how we examine. The fundamental way we practice clinically and commercially will be forever changed. Some aspects will undoubtedly revert back to pre-pandemic ways but many of the changes thrust upon us are positive changes and the class of 2020 is uniquely positioned & more than any group of doctors in our history & to rapidly and effectively assimilate those positive changes. Here’s to the class of 2020 and the great changes that lay ahead! Gary Gerber, 1982

Congratulations on your graduation. The learning never stops. Be kind and genuine. Don’t forget that you have your first year free with the AOA. Take advantage and stay involved in organized Optometry. It’s up to you to keep the profession strong!

Barry Hyman, 1993

Class of 2020!!! The class we were all waiting for and you didn’t disappoint. Now get out there and make us proud. I am so glad to call you col leagues.

Julia Appel, 1991

Congratulations on the completion of your 4 year journey and the beginning of your professional career as Optometrists. Although you will not experience the traditional walk across the stage ( except for you Mike in May of 1991) you will be receiving all the accolades and responsibilities that go with your doctorate degree. We will miss our quarantine time at the Contento Home with Michael and Kamila. Be The Best

AJ and Annette Contento, 1990/1991

In spite of these uncertain times, you are embarking on a career that is challenging, dynamic and fulfilling. In the long run, the current difficulties will fade and you will find that optometry is one of the best professions there is. Congratulations to the Class of 2020! Irene Rosenberg, 1988

Congratulations and best wishes on your graduation and beyond. You’ve taken the first steps of your young careers. And now there’s a giant leap in front of you. You’ve come this far, take the leap, it will be worth it! We’re all in this together. Steve Levy, 1986

Congratulations Class of 2020!!! As an externship director, I celebrated the start of 2020 with some of my students. It was supposed to be the year of the Eye Doctor but now it has become the year of the Corona virus. This is new times for everyone, not just your graduating class. Optometrists everywhere have had to make hard decisions of whether to shut down, keep employees, and how to reopen. So in a sense we too are graduating into a new unknown frontier. It may seem scary that you guys have been pulled too early from your rotations and you may feel ill prepared but don’t fret. Your supervisors are only an email or phone call away. Talk to your future employer of your concerns and they may be able to guide you as well. Today you may be getting your Doctor of Optometry, but just remember ask questions because learning never ends. Good luck Class of 2020!

Mayur Bhavsar, 2007

Follow your dreams!!! Don’t be afraid to go on your own start a practice servicing your community with integrity. What makes a great doctor? One that can combine the most up-to- date science with compassion. Elisa de Junco, 1989

Congratulations! You may feel that since nothing this year has gone according to your plans, all is doomed. Be open and flexible. Don’t rush. The unknown is a gift. Embrace it with courage. It may lead to even better paths. My life now is nothing like how I planned at graduation. It’s even better than I could have planned. Yours will be too. Linda Beck, 2004

You came, you saw with perfect vision, and now go forth and conquer!

Jay Cohen, 1974

Congratulations Class of 2020!!! SUNY-O has a reputation of developing some outstanding clinicians. You are now ready to take on the world and do a complete exam in less than 15 minutes.

Emmanuel DelaCruz II, 2010

Optometry has overcome many professional obstacles over the years and continues to thrive.The class of 2020 will help carry this tradition forward in these difficult times! All the best!

Roy Cohen, 1983

CongratulationsClassof2020and welcome to the Optometry family! It has been wonderful working with you over the past four years andIamproudtocallyouDoctors and colleagues :) Best of luck !

Mariln Vricella, 1997

Congratulations and Good Luck!

Rob Fox, 1985

Congratulations from your fellow alumnus (Class of 1988) and a former class president at SUNY. When we graduated, the country was in the midst of a significant recession after the mini-crash of October 1987, so it was difficult for some of us to find our dream positions right away. Still the challenges we faced absolutely pale in comparison to those you will be dealing with over the next months. Over the course of your career, however, I could not be more excited about the future of optometry and our ability to help patients in the new economies that will grow from the ashes left by COVID-19. May you always enjoy and value the service you can bring to patients seeking a better life! David Damari, 1988

Congratulations to the Class of 2020!!! You have completed the hardest part of your journey and now the fun begins. In the midst of the challenges the world is facing, do not lose sight and hope your professional career can bring. It’s a rewarding, exciting, and joyous job to have as long as you find the right practice/office that fits your value and educational experience. I look forward to meeting you as my fellow colleagues in the near future! Best of Luck! Lily Chin, 2010

Congrats Class of 20/20! I know it’s not the graduation you planned on, but you are now officially doctors! We are still celebrating you and extremely proud of your accomplishments-- looking forward to what your future holds.

Amy Steinway, 2015

Congratulations Class of 2020! Keep the faith and stay strong! Optometry needs your smiling faces and positive attitudes now. Deborah Popplewell, 1984

In what should have been your most exciting and anticipated year of optometry school, your class got sucker punched in the home stretch toward graduation and you found yourselves separatedfromyourmatesandprofessors. It was anything but fair. But please know that your optometric education at SUNY was the finest anywhere and that your new colleagues are there to support you as you become a vital member of the healthcare community at this crucial and challenging time. Don’t hesitate to reach out!

Ken Sorkin, 1993

Congratulations again and again!!!! Class of 2020, all ODs are Jelly of that Year, The year of perfect vision. Go and Be

The Best !!!! AJ Contento, 1990

Graduating in 2015 was one of the best days of my life. And it can still be one of the best days of your life. We have already lived through somuch andwe have so much to look forward to. You made it. The light at the end of the tunnel is now and let me tell you, it only gets better. Congratulations Class of 2020! Damaris Raymondi, 2015

Congratulations on the achievement of finishing your professional training. Things are strange now but this obscuration will serve as a way to increase your adaptability and flexibility as a practitioner. Even though you won’t have the usual celebrations with friends and family inNYCyouwill celebrate inmore unusual creative ways. You have gotten through the more challenging parts of your training, now it’s time to learn real world lessons. You were rather abruptly pushed into this one but as I believe it will help you in the end. Take the time to discover what practice setting will best suit you. Pick where you want to live and then either create or find a beginning. Welcome to the profession!

Regina Manes, 1985

Congratulations to the class of 2020! Your journey as a student is almost over, but your career is just beginning. You are well prepared to go out there and make a difference. You will make our profession very proud. Enjoy every moment. Time goes by in a flash. May you celebrate big time when shelter in place is relaxed. I will be there with you in spirit. All the best!! Beth Browdy, 1980

Dear Class of 2020,We know this may not be the celebration youenvisionedbut knowthatwe are all cheeringyouon from afar and near! A special shout out to my brother, AzimRaja. I have seen firsthand how dedicated you are and I am very proud to call you my brother and now, colleague. Welcome to the field, Dr. Raja! We are so proud of you and the entire class of 2020!

Tahira Raja, 2019

Be flexible, because only then can you appreciate your true value. Be proud; be strong. Congratulations!!

Maria Michalski, 1986

Seriously?!?!? What a year to graduate?! Bum luck, kids...sorry for that. Congrats and all that yadda yadda yadda. As one great SUNY prof once told me, “Once you graduate, you know about 20%... the 80% you learn out there!” I have almost 14 years under my belt right now, and those words still ring true today. In the next few years you will be faced with clinical challenges thatwill stress youout. EMBRACE IT! These are the hurdles of learning and growing. Get used to being uncomfortable, find new challenges whether they be academic, clinical or in business. You have a unique opportunity to grow in almost any direction you want! I am part of a group private practice trying to navigate a pandemic. Stressful? Yes! Exciting? Yes! Will I be better after all the drama? Yes! EMBRACE IT! Also, you will make good money so invest early and often in index funds.

Rich Jun, 2006

Congrats!! I remember leaving SUNY in 2006 SO excited that my Boards and classes were done, and that all the knowledge learned in the past 4 years were ready to be put to great use. I was right, but I had no idea how much I would learn in the first few years AFTER graduating. Keep learning every day, and make the most of this valuable asset (your professional degree) as you begin to enter the workforce. “Many are called, but few are chosen.” We have an obligation to help people who can’t help themselves, and with your newly formed skill sets, taught by some of the best professors in the world, youare equipped to divide, conquer, and heal. Good luck, Class of 2020. Godspeed! Michael Halkias, 2006

Thinking back, my graduation last year was a whirlwind! I remember it came up so fast , and flew by before I could blink. Your class has had unexpected challenges to deal with over the past few months, and I cannot imagine how difficult it must have been. I want to wish you a happy graduation, and hope that you are able to enjoy it fully. You deserve it , especially after the year you’ve had. Take a step back, be proud of your accomplishments, and enjoy your graduation!!

Jessa VanKleeck, 2019

Congratulations SUNY Optometry class of 2020! Welcome colleague to our wonderful profession and optometric family! You will find optometry to be a rewarding career if you stay actively involved with your SUNY Alumni family and as a member of NYSOA ( or whatever state association ) and the American Optometric Association! Andrea Thau, 1984

Congratulations Class of 2020!! This year has been a plot twist but you can write your own plot twist as well ;) Best wishes

and good luck!! Michelle Le, 2017

As a graduate of the first SUNY Optometry class in 1975, I remember the joy and proud feelings, but also the anxiousness and wonder at the beginning of my career. Optometrists in NY at that time were not even allowed to utilize diagnostic drugs. Our main diagnostic equipment was the direct ophthalmoscope and the retinoscope. I am proud of Optometry’s advancement and achievements over the 45 years since the first graduation. Although I am retired now, I still follow the evolution of the Optometric world and practice. I wish you all the best, keep progressing and enjoy the many career paths that loom ahead!

Terry Scheid, 1975

I want to extend my congratulations to each and every one of you as a member of the historic 2020 graduating class from SUNYCollegeofOptometry. As youembark onyourcareers, rememberthatthefuture of Optometry remains bright, and I take pride in welcoming you as my colleagues in such a wonderful profession. After 37 years of private practice I can tell you that I would do it all over again, as nothing in my life has been as rewarding as practicing Optometry. Being able to help people and changing lives is truly amazing. Wishing you all the best, now and always!

Mark Feder, 1983

Congratulations on your new career. I have found it to be a very rewarding profession. I feel sad that you couldn’t have a fun senior year and graduation. Hopefully you will all be able to get together for reunions. The bonds you made at SUNY-O will last your lifetime. I am so proud of Sam Stack and Laura Karle! You both make me proud. I can’t wait to see where you go in your careers. Congratulations to you all. Everyone needs a great eye doctor and I am sure SUNY has made you all great! Enjoy your day! Thera Bowen, 1987

Good luck to the Class of 2020.Although you don’t get a conventional graduation ceremony, you should all be just as proud as if you did.

Christopher Moore, 1987

Open your eyes and heart and follow your passion. Optometry offers such incredible vistas of pursuit, so many fulfilling niches, if a topic intrigues you, pursue it! SUNY grads have a special strength and power! Use it!! My love for contact lens practice and research led me to Australia, where I spent 10 years teaching and studying, and then I taught my passion in 17 more countries. My life took an amazing path around the world due to my vision: to love what I do and do what I loved. Optometry will open the world to you: think big, see bigger, Live the 20/20 Vision!

Jill Klein, 1983

Congratulations, SUNY-O Class of 2020! You are now optometrists, you are now colleagues, and as the newest group of SUNY-O alumni, you’ve demonstrated fortitude and dedication throughout the long haul of higher education and grad school. Although these trying times we currently face have resulted in a somewhat modified version of celebration, know that your fellow SUNY-O alumni are cheering you on and your accomplishments over these past four years are not unnoticed. Your SUNY-O family of alumni and friends is proud of you and we welcome you to the profession. Scott Bushinger, 2007

Just this morning I was talking with my mother about how sad we were for this year’s graduating Optometry class, and being unable to have graduation, and the celebrations that would naturally come afterwards, familydinners, parties, outings. Tobe honest, I thinkmy family celebrated for an entire year afterwards, as it is such a monumental accomplishment to finish this long and rigorous program!! So while it must be such a let- down to not be able to do these things right now, remember, you still have gotten that OD degree you have been working towards for so many years! That does not change. YOU DID IT!! Your family and friends are just as proud as if they attended in person and had the celebrations, and hopefully in a few months, you will be able to celebrate properly, and gather with the people who are important to you. By then, probably you’ll already even have begun working, and providing eyecare, and helping people see better, and even collecting paychecks. Your celebrations will be all the more meaningful when you’ll be able to share with people how happy you are, and the feelings of accomplishment and gratification you feel, for having literally achieved your dreams.So, keep your chin up, and be damn proud of yourselves!! Congratulations, and welcome to the profession. Best of luck to the Class of 2020!

Grace Csatells, 1994

Congratulations on completing this highly rigorous program. Luckily these years have equipped you to face these challenging times. Your optometric foundation, despite these turbulent last months will enable each of you to succeed! I wish you all the best for your future!! Go SUNY-O!!

Sallie Decker, 2015

Congratulations to the graduating class of 2020. We knew “2020” would be a special year for optometry and it still can be, despite the pandemic we are all fighting. I faced different challenges when I graduated 40 years ago in 1980. Use this time to study, read, and pick the brains of your mentors virtually. We will all get through this and come out on the other side as practicing optometrists. Good luck! Karen Dorman, 1980

Just had our virtual 25th Anniversary party for the Class of 1995. Many of the attendees had no idea what lay ahead for them at the time of graduation. Everyone is doing quite well and seems content with our chosen profession, in spite of currently being shut down as a result of the COVID-19 epidemic. Our practices will survive, and thrive, moving forward. You will find many opportunities to do the same, in spite of the current situation. As glum as the current environment seems I can assure you that patience and perseverance will reward you with a fulfilling career. You’ve got this. God bless and best of luck.

Dave Ciccone, 1995

Congratulations on achieving one of the greatest accomplishments of your life. You will soon learn that you have joined one of the most wonderful professions .... your optometric family will always be here for you, offering support, guidance and friendship. The pain is temporary.... the Pride is Forever!! Welcome to our family! Denise Whittam, 1991

To The graduating class of 2020:This was supposed to be your year. Our year. The Year of Vision. The Year of the Optometrist. Instead, we got the Year of the Pandemic, the Year of the greatest economic downturn since the Great Depression. Perhaps with time we will look back and have a new name for this annus horribilis, but for now, I’m not going to sugar coat it, and while it’s not the worst thing that’s ever happened in my life, it is certainly the most difficult moment of my 30 year career.When I graduated SUNY in 1993, Dr. Haffner congratulated me and gave me some words of advice. I have carried them with me ever since. He said, “You will now proudly wear the title of DOC- TOR. Congratulations. It carries with it a heavy burden. Forevermore you will be a beacon in your community, an example to your patients, a role model to your colleagues, a leader in your nation.”30 years later, having worked hard and established my very own, successful practice, just at the moment when I thought I could start to relax and reap the fruits of my labor, well you know what happened. But putting aside the obvious difficulties: the fact that I have lost several patients to COVID-19, the fact that my savings have been decimated, the fact that I cannot see my aging parents or visit with my little niece, the fact that my children are losing a year of college and graduate school, and of course the constant worry and stress of an uncertain future, I want to share with you something that I learned and continue to learn from this experience. This year, more than ever in my life, I have learned the true meaning of the word essential. When push came to shove, I learned who and what was essential in my life. I saw who came to my aid without my asking. Of course, it was my family, I expected that. But what I did not anticipate was the outpour- ing of support from my patients. Instead of my calling them to see how they fared (as of course I did), they started calling and emailing ME! Some sent cards. Some sent flowers. Some shared music and poetry. I did not expect the constant stream of support from my colleagues. Some called me to see if I had PPE. Classmates called me to offer moral support. Officers of my state and local association called to help me apply for loans. The AOA helped me sort out my malpractice insurance. It went on and on. One of my colleagues even enclosed an envelope with cash in a package of cookies sent to another colleague who had been furloughed. Several ophthalmologists, pediatricians, and GPs, with whom I had established referral relationships over the years, called to check on me and my practice. They asked when I planned to reopen because they wanted to send patients my way. In a very dark time, that title of DOCTOR, brought me a glimmer of hope, created a beam of light to guide my way forward. It made me essential. So Class of 2020, I’d like to leave you with this thought: This is your year. This is the year your profession realized it was truly essential. The year that we all learned how essential our professional associations are to our wellbeing. How essential our patients, and the work we do for them, is to our mental health. I will think of it not as the Annus Horribilis, but rather, as the Annus Mirabilis. After all, the original “Annus Mirabilis” or Year of Miracles, in 1666, followed the original Annus Horribilis of 1665 when Europe suffered the Plague. It was the year that Cambridge University shut down to control contagion and forced the 23-year-old Isaac Newton to return home with nothing to do. He called that period of his life his most fruitful and creative. It was the year he verified the composite nature of light. I look forward to seeing your names in the years to come, to seeing what you will invent and what you will accomplish, and to seeing how you will wear your title of, “Doctor.” Viola Kanevsky, 1993

Firstly CONGRATULATIONS! I send you my most sincere congratulations to your class. Your class will always be our profession’s golden child class graduating in the year of vision. While some may say 2020 blindsided us, I would say 2020 has enlightened us. Through this year’s trials, we aregrapplingwithandholdingevenmoredearwhat is truly important. Remember, you are now joining an extensive network of esteemed SUNY Optometry Alumni and even larger supportive profession. If you haven’t already you will find that optometrists are a fun bunch! We help and encourage each other and are truly dedicated to the well- being of our patients. Welcome to the club!You have all worked so hard to get your OD! You have an invaluable degree and are entering a rewarding career. We are here to help you with the transition. When one optometrist succeeds, we all do better as a profession and for our communities we serve. Congratulations and best of luck! We are all so, so proud of you! Elsa Sheerer, 2015

CONGRATULATIONS CLASS OF 2020! You have pushed yourself past the times of uncertainty, the long hours, the apprehensions, the clinics, the unending exams and you have achieved your dreams!I may be biased, but I submit that Optometry is the very best of all professions. For me, every day that I practice has been a joy and continues to be truly gratifying. I urge you to get involved in the family of organized optometry, volunteer at your local, state and national association. Without the continued efforts of the American Optometric Association there will be no optometry. I invite you to unselfishly and diligently work on doing everything in your power to expand the scope of our profession. One piece of advice that I give to every optometric physician, young as well as seasoned, “Be like a stem cell, differentiate yourself from others.”Best wishes !!!! Rodolfo Rodriguez, 1982

Optometry is a great profession.It gives you reasonable hours and pay. It constantly challenges you to think in and out of the box. You can really do good for your patients and your soul. I sincerely hope that you find the right time to celebrate and appreciate all that you’ve done at SUNY-O!

Andy Stack, 1985

Never fear change, it will make you strive for more no matter how the world looks. Also make sure you stay true to yourself !

Neda Gioia, 2006

Congratulations to the Class of 2020!

Eva Yan, 1982

Classof2020,congratulationsongraduating in the most tumultuous of times. Although the graduation is not the usual fanfare, it will make it the most special as well as the most unforgettable of all the years. This particular year will mark your amazing journey on the next phase of life and future generations will learn from you, all that you have to face and overcome. Congratulations!!!

Rebekah Young, 2009

C o n g r a t u la t io n s o n y o u r a c h ie v e m e n t ! F o r m a n y o f y o u , t h is m a r k s t h e e n d o f y o u r fo rm a l e d u c a t io n a n d t h e s t a r t o f a n e n t ire ly n e w c h a p t e r o f y o u r life . A s e x c it in g a s t h a t s h o u ld b e , I im a g in e t h a t y o u m a y a ls o b e fi lle d w it h t re p id a t io n , p a r t ic u la r ly d u e t o t h e c u r re n t e c o n o m ic e n v iro n m e n t a n d o t h e r u n c e r t a in t ie s t h a t a re p re v a le n t in t h e w o r ld r ig h t n o w . M y o n ly a d v ic e fo r y o u is t o b e lie v e t h a t t h is t o o s h a ll p a s s , b e c a u s e it w ill. T im e w ill m a r c h o n a n d t h e re w ill b e m a n y m o re e x c it in g m ile s t o n e s a h e a d fo r y o u s u c h a s : S t a r t in g y o u r fi r s t jo b a s a lic e n s e d O D a n d t r a n s it io n in g f ro m m e n t e e t o m e n t o r. S a v in g a life b y d e t e c t in g a p re v io u s ly u n d ia g n o s e d s y s t e m ic d is e a s e . S e t t lin g in t o y o u r life a s a p ro fe s s io n a l a n d m a y b e s t a r t in g a f a m ily . P a y in g y o u r s t u d e n t lo a n (s ) o ff a n d w r it in g s o m e e n c o u r a g in g w o rd s fo r t h e C la s s o f 2 0 4 0 . I t is t r u ly h a rd t o b e lie v e t h a t 2 0 y e a r s h a v e p a s s e d s in c e I w a s in y o u r s h o e s . D u r in g t h a t t im e , w e h a v e b e e n t h ro u g h t e r ro r is t a t t a c k s , w a r s a n d re c e s s io n s , a n d t h in g s h a v e n ’t a lw a y s g o n e t h e w a y I h a d p la n n e d w h e n I g r a d u a t e d . B u t , b e c o m in g a n o p t o m e t r is t h a s lit e r a lly s h a p e d m y life a n d I a m s o v e r y g r a t e fu l fo r it , a s I a m s u re y o u w ill b e t o o , n o m a t t e r w h a t life h a s in s t o re fo r y o u . S o , g e t o u t t h e re , e n jo y t h e jo u r n e y , a n d m a k e u s a ll p ro u d ! Joe Rappon, 2000

You have worked very, very hard inOptometry School and you have made it to the end, congratulations! You should be very proud of yourselves, it is a great accomplishment. You will continue to grow and learn everyday of your career. Your work will make a difference in the lives of each and every patient you examine and that is what makes everyday of your career extremely fulfilling. You made a great choice, enjoy it and good luck!

Marrisa Israel, 2006

Congratulations, Doctor (!!!), on joining the wonderful world of Optometry! The best advice that stuck with me is if you find a subspecialty that fascinates and interests you, pursue it. Can’t do a residency in it for life reasons or because you didn’t get selected for the only one or one of the very few spots? Don’t let that deter you! Educate yourself on it, build relationships with people who can refer those patients to you, and make it your specialty! (We don’t have “board certified” specialties anyway!) Believe in yourself, in your ability to find the resources you need, find people who know tons about that area and shadow them when you’re a new grad (great chance to pick their brains on how they got successful), and pursue whatever you love about Optometry. You can do it, and you will be great at it! Oh and one more thing... I still think my class of 2010 has you beat... by about 2 lines ;-) Elizabeth Wickware, 2010