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Today’s dispensing and opticianry schools are a diverse range of community and state schools which offer students many ways to take part in eyecare’s growth and to learn about modern patient care.
Sometimes women entering the field are coming out of high school or college. In other cases opticianry is attracting women exploring new career opportunities.
The profession is also attractive to young moms and offers flexibility in terms of time and practice structure. It’s a career choice that enables contribution in the health-care arena.
Women are increasingly entering the field.
Judy Havermann
Community College of Vermont
Rutland, VT.
Haverman’s opticianry degree is the start of a second career for this 59-year-old, who worked full-time while attending CCV.
Havermann spent 22 years as director of rental and property management at Killington Ski Resort in Vermont, but had been long fascinated with the eyecare field.
“Way back when I was in my 20’s, I’d wanted to be an optometrist, but as they say, ‘life got in the way,’ and I raised a family and things took another direction so I got involved in business.
“But about three years ago, I learned that the community college in my town offered a good program in opticianry and I thought it would be great to get involved in eyecare in that capacity. I’ve been wearing glasses since I was 8 years old and my kids have ad had eyecare/ vision issues as well. It’s just been something I’ve always wanted to be involved in.”
During the program, she spent 5 semesters doing dispensing and laboratory clinical work at Rutland Optical.
Now in North Carolina, Havermann works for Eastern Carolina Eye Center.
HER SCHOOL SAYS: “Judy consistently submitted high-quality work, demonstrating her growing understanding, appreciation and enthusiasm for the field."
Tzippy Abramowitz
Raritan Valley Community College
Somerville, N.J.
Abramowitz was a mother of four when she started the program at RaritanValley--she currently has 6 kids, ages 1 to 11 years old, but neverthess found time for her studies and the development of an optical business, too, balancing it all.
She started one business, Eyewear Unlimited, while she was in college and about six months ago launched a new higher-end location, called Imperial DesignerEyewear in her town of Lakewood, N.J.
“I saw a need in our area for an optical store--we used to have to drive a half-hour to get to the nearest store.”
Abramowitz loved her experience at Raritan Valley, she said, “I enjoyed learning and understanding the concepts of good vision and there’s a personal satisfaction helping people see.”
HER SCHOOL SAYS: “Tzippy is a born leader and will do well with her career and her life. She was a phenomenal student, managing to start her own optical business, with several young children at home. We never were able to figure out how she managed to do all that and still be the brightest and most eager student in the classroom!”
Sali Alshafai
Erie Community College
Williamsville, N.Y.
Alshafai, originally from Nablus, Palestine, has lived in the U.S. since 2003. With the challenge of learning a new language, Alshafai maintained a 3.54 GPA and tutored her classmates in computer application of optics throughout her studies at Erie.
She’s currently working for LensCrafters in the McKinley Mall in Hamburg, N.Y. and eventually would like to focus her practice in the contact lens area.
Alshafai, a volunteer for the United Nations in the Palestine refugee camps, in the U.S. is a member of the Muslim Public Affairs committee.
She is continuing her education to pursue a Bachelor’s degree at the University of Buffalo this fall.
HER SCHOOL SAYS: “Sali’s positive attitude is a delight to those around her.”
Sarah Hutchinson, ABOC, NCLC
Middlesex Community College
Middletown, Ct.
Hutchinson is a graduate of the ophthalmic design and dispensing program and a recipient of an associate science (A.S.) degree.
Nationally certified by the American Board of Opticianry (ABOC) and the National Contact Lens Examiners (NCLE), she completed a fellowship in specialized contact lens fitting with Rene R. Rivard at Consulting Ophthalmologists in Farmington, Ct. as well as the course in contact lenses at the Vision Care Institute, sponsored by Johnson & Johnson Vision Care.
Hutchinson also represented Middlesex Community College at this year’s National Federation of Opticianry Schools/Essilor College Bowl at Vision Expo East in New York.
Just finishing her Connecticut state practical exam, Hutchinson is currently working with Glasses Galore of Middlebury, Ct.
HER SCHOOL SAYS: “Sarah is an outstanding student and has tremendous potential in her future career.”
Judy Logue
Cuyahoga Community College
Cleveland, OH.
Balancing family, work and school, Logue, a single mother with three children, was a chiropractic assistant and wanted a new career and new opportunities.
After talking to the program manager at Tri-C, which was in her town, she entered the optical technology program and learned the opticianry field, maintaining an ‘A’ average and appearing on the Dean’s List.
Today she works at Madison Eye Care, in Westlake, Ohio, a two-office, private practice, a Vision Source practice.
HER SCHOOL SAYS: “Logue’s positive attitude and sunny disposition has brightened the lives of all around her, encouraged and inspired her classmates. What’s she’s accomplished here at Cuyahoga lead us to believe that Ms. Logue is a future leader in the field of opticianry in Northeast Ohio and we’re proud she graduated from our program.”
Crystal Shutt
J. Sargeant ReynoldsCommunity College
Richmond, Va.
A Magna Cum Laude graduate and a member of the National Honor Society Phi Theta Kappa, Shutt represented her school at the recent National Federation of Opticianry Schools College Bowl in New York.
“I always liked health care and I started working in the field and loved helping people and the technical aspect of eyewear!”
Shutt works at the Eyewear Plus Optometric Center in Williamsburg, Va. She notes that the upcoming Vision Expo West conflicts with her pending wedding, but “I look forward to getting back to Expo in New York, I hope, next year.”
HER SCHOOL SAYS: “She is a shining example for the rest of her classmates, always coordinating test review sessions and helping tutor others.”
Stefanie Smith
Camden County College
Blackwood, N.J.
Smith acknowledges she “fell into” the optical business, when a local optical store was looking for help, after considering new job options, she started working there and learned she really liked it and all it entailed.
A New Jersey Stars scholarship recipient, she graduated with honors and plans to attend Rutgers University in the fall.
HER SCHOOL SAYS: “Stefanie is one of the brightest stars and we’re proud to have her represent our school and class of 2007.”
Chelsa Tinkham Skinner
Indiana University School of Optometry Optician/Technician Program
Bloomington, Ind.
Recipient of the Optician of the Year Award, Skinner received her A.S. degree this year and her Bachelor of General Studies from the IU School of Continuing Studies in May.
She graduated with honors for both degrees, on Dean’s List.
She is currently employed by the IU School of Optometry Borish Center for Ophthalmic Research assisting in research projects.
She performs preliminary exam testing, data entry and analysis, and full scope opticianry duties for projects involving spectacles.
Due to her husband’s educational plans, she will be moving to Phoenix, Arizona in August 2007.
HER SCHOOL SAYS: “Chelsa has been an excellent leader and role model to her classmates. She is hard-working, dedicated, and well respected by the faculty, staff, and students.”