EYECARE: Optometry Fifth Annual EssilorLuxottica Academic Challenge Showcases Power of Educational Collaboration By Staff Wednesday, November 2, 2022 12:18 AM (L to R) The first-place winners in the "winners" photo, are Karrie Sestak, Lindsey Tillery, and Meredith Fry from Southern College of Optometry. SAN DIEGO—The EssilorLuxottica Academic Challenge celebrated its fifth annual competition at the American Academy of Optometry (AAO) Academy meeting here on October 28, 2022. A record crowd of more than 1,000 enthusiastic students and alumni, many armed with noisemakers and dressed in theme to support their schools, attended the event at the historic Observatory North Park Theatre in San Diego, Calif. Student representatives from 25 schools and colleges of optometry competed to win significant prizes and bragging rights by answering eye health related questions through rounds of competitions. “The EssilorLuxottica Academic Challenge is born of educational collaboration between the AAO, the schools and colleges of optometry, and EssilorLuxottica,” said Millicent Knight, OD, senior vice president of customer development at EssilorLuxottica North America. “Now a must-attend event for Academy student attendees, the EssilorLuxottica Academic Challenge helps optometry students prepare for board exams as they engage in this fun, competitive event.” Meredith Fry, Karrie Sestak and Lindsey Morgan Tillery from Southern College of Optometry were crowned as EssilorLuxottica Academic Challenge Champions, winning first-place which included a $1,000 prize from the AAO and a pair of Ray-Ban Stories from EssilorLuxottica to experience the new way to capture, share and listen. The EssilorLuxottica Academic Challenge Winners celebrate their victory. “EssilorLuxottica is proud to steward student education and applauds all of the teams of students who spent hours preparing for this competition,” said Dr. Knight. “The passion and dedication we saw tonight, from the competitors to the students and alumni in the crowds, shows that the future of optometry, and our industry as a whole, is very bright.” The EssilorLuxottica Academic Challenge took place last week at the American Academy of Optometry’s annual meeting in San Diego. While Southern College of Optometry took home first place medals, Avalena Linksy, Derek Ng and Nada Fareed from SUNY College of Optometry won second place and each received $750 from the AAO. Third place was won by Kelli Schaedel, Jadica Piela and Aaron Meyer from NSU Oklahoma College of Optometry who each received $500 from the AAO.