SCENE + HEARD: Discover Women In Optometry: One Volunteer Role Opens the Door to Another...and Another...and Another By Staff Friday, June 21, 2019 3:37 PM Barbara Horn, OD, a diplomate in the American Board of Optometry, recalls that in her very first week as a student at Michigan College of Optometry at Ferris State University, she needed a subject she could discuss for 10 minutes. “I picked the alphabet soup of organized optometry: AOA, AOSA, AAO, ARBO, ASCO—and those are just some of the letter A. They were all initially confusing to me,” she says. “As I was preparing, I realized how critical each one was to optometry, as each represented different aspects within our profession. However, only one of those organizations safeguards and advances the profession, allowing us to practice the way we do today.” At that moment, she became forever devoted to the American Optometric Association (AOA) and its affiliates, not envisioning that the mentorship and help she gained along the way would one day lead her to become the new AOA president. Read More.