Celebrating Our Residents

RESIDENTS’ WEEKEND 2020 A V I R T UAL C E L E B R ATI O N O F S C O ’ S 2 0 1 9 - 2 0 2 0 R E S I D E N C Y C L A S S

ERICA ARKISZEWSKI, OD RESIDENCY AT COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTERS, NIPOMO, CA Erica Arkiszewski, O.D. completed her residency in Primary Eye Care and Community Health Optometry at Community Health Centers of the Central Coast in San Luis Obispo county, California. She studied both Management and Biology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and received her Doctor of Optometry degree from the InterAmerican University of Puerto Rico College of Optometry. She rotated through Womack Army Medical Center in Fort Bragg, North Carolina as well as Kelly Laser/NY Lasik in Manhattan, New York. She is proficient in Spanish and is passionate about working with underserved populations. Her professional interests include ocular disease, public health, and surgical co-management. Though she is a North Carolina native, she plans to provide full scope optometric care on the west coast in the near future. In her spare time she likes to travel, cook, enjoy the outdoors, and spend time with family and friends.

MAGGIE ASMAN, OD RESIDENCY AT GREENVILLE VAMC CBOC, GREENVILLE, NC Dr. Maggie Asman is the resident optometrist at the Greenville VA Outpatient Clinic in Greenville, SC with an emphasis on primary care/ocular disease. She is originally from Estherville, Iowa and completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Iowa.

She earned her Doctor of Optometry from the New England College of Optometry in 2019. Dr. Asman is an active member of the American Optometric Association and Beta Sigma Kappa International Optometric Honor Society.Â

MAGGIE ASMAN, OD WORDS FROM RESIDENCY SUPERVSIOR, DR. MONICA JEZIOR Dr. Asman, The entire staff of the Greenville VA Eye Clinic wants you to know how much of a pleasure it was working with you over the past year, and that you will be dearly missed! Your enthusiasm and sense of humor has been contagious in our clinic, while still maintaining an exceptional level of professionalism.

You have significantly grown as a clinician this year, and there is no doubt that your patient’s will be well taken care of throughout your optometric career. We all wish you a happy and flourishing future.

We also appreciate how you took initiative to unite the clinic by starting our color coordinated scrub days of the week. A tradition we will continue in your honor!

KELLY CAWLEY, OD RESIDENCY AT THE MEMPHIS VAMC, MEMPHIS, TN Bio: Speak softly and Carry a Big Stick Plans: Private practice in Colorado Springs, CO

PRISCILLA CHANG, OD RESIDENCY AT GEORGIA EYE PARTNERS, ATLANTA, GA

MELISSA CHEN, OD RESIDENCY AT SALISBURY VAMC, SALISBURY, NC Dr. Melissa Chen, received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Biological Sciences at The City University of New York, Baruch College and her Doctor of Optometry from the Pennsylvania College of Optometry. Eager for a mild winter, Dr. Chen is currently pursing an Ocular Disease/Primary Care residency at the W. G (Bill) Hefner VAMC in Salisbury, NC. Since the advent of COVID-19, she spends her spare time playing Animal Crossing and pouring homemade candles.Â

SYDNEY COOPER, OD RESIDENCY AT SALEM VAMC, SALEM, VA I’m originally from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and received my undergraduate degree from Grand Valley State University in Grand Rapids, Michigan. I graduated from Southern College of Optometry in 2019 and continued on to pursue an ocular disease/primary care residency at the Salem Veteran Affairs Medical Center in Salem, Virginia. This past year of residency has been an exceptional experience. It challenged me daily but has helped me grow far beyond what I could have imagined was possible.

Following completion of my residency, I will be moving to Maryland with my fiancé to practice in a private practice or OD/MD setting.

SYDNEY COOPER, OD WORDS FROM SUPERVISOR, DR. SCOTT SLAGLE Sydney Cooper: It has been a great year working with Sydney. She has a keen way of being serious and fun at the same time. Her detail-oriented nature makes her very effective in addressing the needs of her patients. Her natural curiosity and enthusiasm for learning really compliments her outstanding clinical skills. She has shown an admirably resolute commitment throughout the residency year. We have very much enjoyed working with Sydney this year.

ELIZABETH DAVIS, OD RESIDENCY AT SALISBURY VAMC, SALISBURY, NC "Elizabeth is a 2019 graduate of SCO and is a primary care resident at the Salisbury VA. She grew up in Advance, NC and majored in History at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. After residency, she will join My Eye Doctor in Winston-Salem, NC."Â

JAELYN DEBERRY, OD RESIDENCY AT TOYOS CLINIC, MEMPHIS, TN

SARAH DRISCOLL, OD RESIDENCY AT SALEM VAMC, SALEM, VA I am from Roanoke, Virginia. After graduating Summa Cum Laude from Virginia Tech, I went on to graduate optometry school from The University of Alabama at Birmingham. I proceeded to a residency at the Salem VA Medical Center with an emphasis in Ocular Disease. After residency, I will be working at an OD/MD practice in southwest Virginia.

SARAH DRISCOLL, OD WORDS FROM SUPERVISOR, DR. SCOTT SLAGLE Sarah Driscoll: The first thing that comes to mind about Sarah is her devotedness. This is evident not only in her preparations for clinic and student instruction, but also in her collegial interactions and the care provided to her patients. She has a very natural and mature professional nature that creates a harmonious and productive work environment. This renders a sincere, empathetic ambiance in the exam room where she effectively relates to and addresses the concerns of her patients. This estimable nature supplements her excellent clinical skillset and astute acumen. It has truly been an absolute joy to work with Sarah.

ZACHARY GERMAN, OD RESIDENCY AT THE EYE CENTER, MEMPHIS, TN Zachary German graduated from the Southern College of Optometry (SCO) in the Spring of 2019. He continued at the school for an additional year, completing a residency in Vision Therapy and Rehabilitation. His current plans are to move west and employ the knowledge and skills gained through his educational training at SCO and take advantage of the area’s natural beauty.

ZACHARY GERMAN, OD WORDS FROM SUPERVISOR, DR. PAUL HARRIS

In memory of the hours of staring at this and saying over and over, “May the Force be with you”.

The point was that in testing contrast threshold values with and without glare, most of the time, when the stimulus was right at threshold, you had to talk yourself into believing there might be circles on the screen. We tested each other more hours than either of us wish to recall. But in the end the FDA accepted our work for use in future studies which require contrast sensitivity to be used to document changes from lenses, eye drops etc. It was an amazing pleasure to work with you in all the capacities we did. Be well.

CELESTE GOMEZ, OD RESIDENCY AT CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL COLORADO, DENVER, CO Celeste graduated from Pennsylvania College of Optometry at Salus University in May 2019. She is currently completing her residency in Pediatric Disease at Children’s Hospital Colorado and is excited to continue her career on faculty after the completion of her residency.

CELESTE GOMEZ, OD WORDS FROM SUPERVISOR DR. DAN SMITH AND DR. ENGLE While reviewing her residency applicant material, three recurrent themes emerged from all of Dr. Gomez’ letters of recommendation: she is intelligent, she is soft-spoken and she does not complain. After working with her this year, we could not agree more. During her time with us at Children’s Hospital Colorado, Celeste demonstrated the usual improvements that we see in most residents. However, from the start one of the themes we noticed immediately was her depth of knowledge, especially for a new graduate. Dr. Gomez consistently participated in and excelled during her weekly optics and journal club sessions, and her residency scholastic work continually demonstrated her understanding of conditions she was managing in the clinic. Also true is the fact that she never complains.

Including the obvious inconveniences caused by the recent pandemic, Celeste never vented, sighed, rolled her eyes or walked away in disgust after her preceptors asked her to see a patient or perform a certain task. A trait any clinical director would admire and appreciate. Lastly, she is soft-spoken…and given the fact her Residency Director wears a hearing aid, this was not ideal It was our privilege to have Dr. Gomez with us this year and we couldn’t be happier knowing that she has chosen to join our faculty this fall!

Dr. Engle and Dr. Smith

JESSICA GRIMES PATTON, OD RESIDENCY AT WOOLFSON EYE INSTITUTE, ATLANTA, GA I am a 2019 graduate of UAB School of Optometry and after completing a residency at Woolfson Eye Institute I will be working at the Canton, GA location of MyEyeDr. I am originally from the Birmingham, AL metro area, but my husband and I really enjoy Atlanta. I have finished the Georgia Leadership Academy and hope to remain involved in the GOA.

KRISTEN HATTON, OD RESIDENCY AT NEURO-VISION OF NORTH TX, DALLAS, TX

My name is Dr. Kristen Hatton and I am completing my Vision Therapy and Rehabilitation residency with Dr. Shidlofsky in Plano, Texas. I was born and raised in Ohio and completed my Optometry degree at Indiana University. My fiancé is an optometrist as well and we plan on buying into a practice in the Fort Worth area next year. I am excited to introduce Vision Therapy to the practice and continue work in pediatrics and brain injury. In our free time we enjoy fitness, cheering on the Lakers and Ohio State Buckeyes, and cooking/trying new foods together.

KAMIL HILL, OD RESIDENCY AT THE EYE CENTER, MEMPHIS, TN

BLAIR FLINT-HOLDEN, OD RESIDENCY AT BOND-WROTEN, DENHAM SPRINGS, LA My name is Blair Holden, I am a proud graduate of the Southern College of Optometry and I am completing my residency training at the Bond-Wroten Eye Clinics in Louisiana, with an emphasis in family practice and ocular disease. I have thoroughly enjoyed the phenomenal mentorship, the challenging learning opportunities and my first year of optometric practice that I have experienced through this program. After the completion of my residency, I plan to move to the Louisville, KY area where I hope to continue my career in a medically-based private practice.Â

BLAIR FLINT-HOLDEN, OD RESIDENCY AT BOND-WROTEN, DENHAM SPRINGS, LA

BLAIR-FLINT HOLDEN, OD WORDS FROM SUPERVISOR, DR. CHRISTOPHER WROTEN “Dr. Holden's professionalism, work ethic, and devotion to her patients are unsurpassed. She is always ready and willing to tackle a complicated case, eagerly diving in with intellectual curiosity and a commitment to learning all there is to know about a particular condition and its therapeutic options. Dr. Holden has grown into a truly exceptional Resident (I wish we could clone her!), and working with her has challenged me to continue to improve my own clinical skills. Our profession and her patients are in for a special treat as she launches her career, and I can’t wait to see what great things the future has in store!"

SARA ISELY, OD RESIDENCY AT DORN VAMC I am completing my residency at WJB Dorn VA in South Carolina and plan to join the Charles Moore VA in Asheville, NC this summer. In my spare time I enjoy riding my horse, Finn, and spending time with my family.

SARA ISELY, OD WORDS FROM SUPERVISOR DR. ANTHONY VANALSTINE, Dr. Isely, we knew we wanted you to be our resident after your first week of externship in our clinic. We are so thankful you chose to do your residency at Dorn! We are proud of your many successes presenting at conferences and the capable and confident doctor you have become over your residency year. You brought fun and laughter to clinic and we will dearly miss you and your sense of humor once you’ve moved on to your new job. We are glad you’ll continue to care for veterans and know that you have a bright future ahead!

JAMIE LYN JOHN, OD RESIDENCY AT EYECARE PROFESSIONALS, NJ Jamie John, O.D. Graduated from Nova Southeastern College of Optometry in May 2019 Residency: Vision Therapy and Neuro-Optometric Rehabilitation at EyeCare Professionals under the direction of Dr. Barry Tannen Future Plans: return to my hometown of Pittsburgh, PA to continue to work in a vision therapy and neuro-rehab setting

ALEEN KALTAKDIJIAN, OD RESIDENCY AT THE MEMPHIS VAMC, MEMPHIS, TN

SHANTELLE KAMIBAYASHI, OD RESIDENCY AT GEORGIA EYE PARTNERS, ATLANTA, GA I graduated optometry school from Pacific University College of Optometry in 2019. I am currently doing an ocular disease and refractive/ocular surgery residency at Georgia Eye Partners in Atlanta, GA. I plan to return to my home state to practice in Honolulu, Hawaii.Â

SHARNELLE KAMIBAYASHI, OD RESIDENCY AT GEORGIA EYE PARTNERS, ATLANTA, GA I am a resident at Georgia Eye Partners. I graduated from Pacific University College of Optometry. I am originally from Aiea, Hawaii and have an identical twin sister.Â

LESLIE KINDER, OD RESIDENCY AT DORN VAMC Graduate of University of Missouri -St. Louis Resident at Dorn VAMC, Columbia, SC Returning to St. Louis to practice Optometry

LESLIE KINDER, OD WORDS FROM SUPERVISOR DR. ANTHONY VANALSTINE Dr. Kinder it was so wonderful to have you as a resident this year. You have become such a part of the Dorn family its hard to imagine that you just applied the last day before the deadline! We are so glad you beat the buzzer and came to do residency at Dorn. It has been awesome to see you grow into the outstanding doctor that you are. Your compassion for your patients inspired all of us to be better doctors too. We will miss you and wish you joy and success in your carrier.

ABAGAIL KIRK, OD RESIDENCY AT THE MEMPHIS VAMC, MEMPHIS, TN Bio: Thirty, flirty, and thriving. B+ VA traffic director. Plans: TBD

MATTHEW MCBRIDE, OD RESIDENCY AT THE MEMPHIS VAMC, MEMPHIS, TN I am from McKenzie, TN and a graduate of the University of Tennessee at Martin. I am not sure where I will be practicing just yet, but plan to stay in Tennessee.Â

PAVENDEEP KOROTANA, OD RESIDENCY AT WOOLFSON EYE IINSTITUTE, ATLANTA, GA “I’m originally from Northern Canada where I completed my undergraduate degree at the University of Alberta before escaping the cold and moving to South Florida for optometry school at Nova Southeastern. I’m currently completing my residency at Woolfson Eye Institute in Atlanta, GA. Post residency I will be staying on at WEI as a full-time optometrist at various satellite offices.”

KERRI LYONS, OD RESIDENCY AT THE EYE CENTER, MEMPHIS, TN Graduated from Pacific University with my optometry degree followed by my masters in vision function and learning. Completed my residency at Southern College of Optometry in pediatrics and vision therapy so that I could officially finish my vision education in 2020. The future plans include moving west to practice and play outside!

STEPHANIE MCMILLEN, OD RESIDENCY AT THE EYE CENTER, MEMPHIS, TN Dr. Stephanie McMillen is originally from Florida and graduated from Florida State University with a Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences. She attended Southern College of Optometry and went on to complete a residency there in Pediatrics and Vision Therapy to pursue her passion and further enhance her clinical skills in comprehensive, developmental care. She is an active member of the College of Optometrists in Vision Development (COVD) and the Optometric Extension Program Foundation (OEPF). She will be practicing in Jackson, TN after completing residency.Â

KATHERINE MEHALIK, OD RESIDENCY AT MOUNTAIN HOME VAMC, MOUNTAIN HOME, TN Katherine M. Mehalik is from Indiana, Pennsylvania. She completed her undergraduate degree in Biology at University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown. She is a 2019 graduate of Pennsylvania College of Optometry at Salus University, where she received clinical honors. Dr. Mehalik is currently completing her Primary Care and Ocular Disease residency at James H. Quillen Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Mountain Home, TN. After completing her residency, she will be returning to western Pennsylvania to practice optometry in the primary care setting.

KATHERINE MEHALIK, OD WORDS FROM RESIDENCY SUPERVISOR, DR. LOREN BENNETT Katie, we have really enjoyed working with you this year. You are a great clinician who worked well with the patients and staff, and I continue to get compliments on the care that you are providing. I am really glad that you chose to do your residency training with us.

You are going to do well in private practice, and I wish you the best of luck.

KELLY MORGESE, OD RESIDENCY AT SALISBURY VAMC, SALISBURY, NC Upon completion of my ocular disease/primary eye care residency from the W.G. 'Bill' Hefner VAMC, I hope to practice either in North Carolina or New Mexico. I graduated with my Doctorate in Optometry and a Masters in Public Health from Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. I'm originally from Albuquerque, New Mexico and attended the University of New Mexico for undergrad. I'm passionate about patient-centered eye care, public health education, lifelong learning, and advocating for optometry. In my free time, I enjoy spending time traveling, reading, yoga, skiing, and hiking.

ALEXANDER MOUSSA, OD RESIDENCY AT SALISBURY VAMC, SALISBURY, NC Originally from Panama City, FL, Dr. Moussa attended the University of Florida for undergraduate and Nova Southeastern University College of Optometry for post-graduate education. He completed his residency at the W.G. “Bill” Hefner VA Medical Center in Salisbury, NC with emphasis in primary care/ocular disease. Post-residency, he will be practicing at the Eye Centers of North Florida in Panama City, Florida. He will be specializing in primary care/ocular disease and specialty contact lenses.

TANYA PAKZAD, OD RESIDENCY AT SALISBURY VAMC, SALISBURY, NC Tanya Pakzad grew up in the suburbs of Montgomery County, Maryland. She earned her two bachelor’s degrees from the University of Maryland, College Park. She received her doctorate of optometry from Nova Southeastern University, where she was also the president of the Florida Optometric Student Association. After completing her residency program, Tanya plans to move in with her fiancé in Coral Gables, Florida.

In her spare time, Tanya enjoys painting, hiking, and playing disc golf.

SIMMY PANCHAL, OD RESIDENCY AT CHARLESTON VAMC, CHARLESTON, SC Graduated from American University in Washington, DC with a B.S. in Biology in 2012. Graduated from Pennsylvania College of Optometry in May 2019.

Primary Eye Care resident at Ralph H Johnson VAMC in Charleston, SC. Clinical interests include ocular disease and specialty contacts.

Post-Residency: TBD. I would like to continue working in a hospital setting.

SIMMY PANCHAL, OD WORDS FROM SUPERVISOR, DR. DENTON Simmy, it’s been a great year and thanks to the Emergency Department you’ve treated more uveitis than some will see in their entire career!

Our wish for you is that all of your patients will be “shuppy”.

We are excited for the next step in your career and we’re proud to call you our colleague.

-Drs. Denton, Singleton, Smith, and Beischel

NANCY PHAN, OD RESIDENCY AT THE MEMPHIS VAMC, MEMPHIS, TN Born and raised in Houston, TX. Graduated from Texas A&M University and UIW Rosenberg School of Optometry. Will be joining a practice in Montgomery, AL after residency.

JENSEN RAFOOL, OD RESIDENCY AT DRAISIN VISION GROUP, CHARLESTON, SC Dr. Jensen Rafool completed optometry school at Illinois College of Optometry before moving to Charleston, SC for her residency in pediatrics and vision therapy at Draisin Vision Group. She is an Illinois native and earned her Bachelor of Science degree at University of Illinois UrbanaChampaign. After completion of her residency, she plants to continue working in private practice as a behavioral optometrist and work towards becoming a fellow of the College of Optometrists in Vision Development. When not working, she enjoys going to the beach, trying new restaurants, and playing with her dog Theo.

JENSEN RAFOOL, OD WORDS FROM RESIDENCY SUPERVISOR, DR. SMITH-ZOLMAN Dr. Rafool came to us highly recommended by a good friend and colleague that she had spent time with as their extern. She did not disappoint and was well beyond what we expected. Dr. Rafool adds a light to our office, always helpful, smiling and determined. She loves working with kids and has become such an amazing part of our Vision Therapy Team. She seeks helps and guidance when needed, but administers brilliant clinical thinking and problem solving to find solutions for her most difficult patient cases. Although she has been with us under a year, she has certainly changed the lives of many of our vision therapy patients for the better, helping them thrive in all aspects of their lives. When COVID-19 decided to turn our worlds upside down and close our office, she didn't think twice in pivoting into a solution of the unknown. She helped in developing and implementing our new Tele-health VT program that we are currently using as we being to re-open our office. I am expecting really great things from Dr. Rafool....this is just the beginning for her. :)

JESSICA RUXTON, OD RESIDENCY AT CHILD AND FAMILY OPTOMETRY, WICHITA, KS Dr. Jessica Ruxton was born and raised in Northern California. She received a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology at the University of Nevada, Reno in 2014. As an undergraduate, she competed as a NCAA athlete in precision shooting, received Academic All-American honors, and served as team captain.

Dr. Ruxton graduated from the Arizona College of Optometry at Midwestern University in 2019, where she was a proud member of the Beta Sigma Kappa Optometric Honor Society. She then completed a post-graduate residency program in Pediatrics, Vision Therapy, and Neuro-Rehabilitation. In her spare time, she enjoys hiking, reading, and spending time with her family. Dr. Ruxton is honored to be joining Southern Colorado Eye Care Associates and looks forward to serving patients in Colorado.

JESSICA RUXTON, OD WORDS FROM SUPERVISOR, DR. PAT PIROTTE Jessica has been a pleasure to mentor and watch grow this past year. She has had to live through the COVID world with the rest of us but has survived and prospered. Best of luck to her!

JOHANN SCHLAGER, OD RESIDENCY AT WOW VISION THERAPY, ST. JOSEPH, MI “Hello, my name is Johann Schlager. I graduated from Western University of Health Sciences.

Unlike most people, I started my optometric career a bit later in life. Before starting optometry school, I had the privledge to own my own coffee roasting company, work as a flight attendant for Delta Airlines, and be part of the United States Airforce. I’ve been able to take so much from those experiences and apply them today both with primary care optometry, and especially with pediatrics and vision therapy. Once completing my residency program, I will be heading back to sunny, Southern California. There, I will be joining a practice in Newport Beach, CA that will allow me to practice both primary care and vision therapy.”

LAURA SCHWARTZ, OD RESIDENCY AT OCHSNER MEDICAL CENTER, NEW ORLEANS, LA Bio: Dr. Laura Schwartz is from Fredericksburg, Virginia. She attended the University of Virginia and graduated with a degree in Kinesiology. She then went on to optometry school at Southern College of Optometry and graduated in 2018. Last year, she was in Portland, Oregon studying vision therapy and pediatric optometry. Wanting to expand her optometric knowledge in a hospital-based setting, she is currently doing a residency in New Orleans at Ochsner Medical Center. Laura has been loving her time in New Orleans and has been taking advantage of the fun activities and delicious food here!

LAURA SCHWARTZ, OD WORDS FROM RESIDENCY SUPERVISOR, DR. JEFF COLEGROVE Dr. Laura Schwartz has been a real pleasure to work with this year as our 2019-2020 Ochsner primary care resident. She always has a smile on her face and brings a positive attitude to clinic. She is curious about always learning more and bringing that knowledge to her patients. She goes above and beyond what is asked of her for the residency program and Ochsner has benefitted from her being a member of our Optometry section for the past year.

Having the tools of a great attitude, a broad knowledge base and a drive to learn more, I have no doubt she will succeed as a dual residency trained Optometrist. Thank You Laura!

CHELSEA SCRIVEN, OD RESIDENCY AT DUKE UNIVERSITY EYE CENTER, NC I'm originally from Kansas City and I'm a pediatric resident at Duke University. I enjoy working with children and their families and I especially enjoy watching Frozen twenty times a day while doing exams. My plans for next year include continuing on at Duke University with a clinical faculty position.

CHELSEA SCRIVEN, OD WORDS FROM SUPERVISOR, DR. NATHAN CHEUNG

Chelsea,

Thank you for being a trailblazer! I am proud of your work ethic and accomplishments you have achieved during your residency. I wish you all the best in your future endeavors.

I will be honored to have you as a colleague, co-investigator or co-presenter in future projects. Congratulations!

JANNIFER SHIN, OD RESIDENCY AT DORN VAMC I am completing my residency at the Columbia VAMC. After residency, I will be joining Spectrum Eye Care in Charlotte, NC.Â

JANNIFER SHIN, OD WORDS FROM SUPERVISOR DR. ANTHONY VANALSTINE Dr. Shin it was such a joy to work with you this year. Your letters of recommendation when you applied were so glowing they were hard to believe, but you were even better than they said you were! Your scholarly presentations were outstanding and the care you gave our veterans was exemplary. We were especially blown away by how you would always go the extra mile and take patients from other clinics to help out. We wish you all the best and will miss you very much.

APRIL SMITH, OD RESIDENCY AT THE EYE CENTER, MEMPHIS, TN Dr. April Smith graduated from Clemson University in South Carolina with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biological Sciences. She then graduated from The University of the Incarnate Word Rosenberg School of Optometry in San Antonio, TX with her Doctor of Optometry. After, she pursued her residency program here in Memphis, TN at the Southern College of Optometry in Pediatrics and Vision Therapy Rehabilitation. She is an active member of COVD, OEPF, AOA, AAO, and her state association. She has expressed many times that she loves her profession and the niche she has chosen and looks forward to what the future holds for her!Â

KEVAN SMITH, OD RESIDENCY AT THE EYE CENTER, MEMPHIS, TN

LAUREN SPENCER, OD RESIDENCY AT BOWERSOX VISION CENTER, SHELBYVILLE, KY My name is Lauren Spencer and I am from Union, KY. I received my undergraduate degree in Biology from the University of Kentucky and my Doctorate of Optometry from the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Optometry. I am currently a resident at Bowersox Vision Center studying Pediatrics, Binocular Vision, Vision Therapy and Neuro-Rehabilitation. I will be returning to the Northern KY area to join a private practice and start building a vision therapy and neuro-rehabilitation program after residency. I enjoy spending time with my family and traveling.

KASIA SZULBORSKI, OD RESIDENCY AT SALISBURY VAMC, SALISBURY, NC Kasia Szulborski is from Shavertown, Pennsylvania. She received her undergraduate degree from Dickinson College and doctorate of optometry from The New England College of Optometry. She is currently finishing her residency in Ocular Disease/Primary Care at the W.G. (Bill) Hefner VA Medical Center in Salisbury, North Carolina. When she's not behind a slit lamp, you can find Kasia running some miles, spinning her heart out at an indoor cycling class, or looking up Labrador retriever puppies for her first post residency purchase.

After residency she will be working at Belmont Eye in Belmont, North Carolina.

MADHARI UPPAL, OD RESIDENCY AT WOOLFSON EYE INSTITUTE, ATLANTA, GEORGIA I earned my doctor of optometry degree at InterAmerican University of Puerto Rico School of Optometry. After graduation, I began my residency at Woolfson Eye Institute specializing in Ocular Disease and Refractive Surgery. The residency has solidified my career goals practicing medical optometry. After completing my residency, I will be moving to New York, which is where my fiancé lives. I hope to take my clinical experiences from WEI and provide excellent vision care!

NICOLAS VU, OD RESIDENCY AT SALISBURY VAMC, SALISBURY, NC "Nicolas Vu is is a recent graduate of Southern College of Optometry and a current resident at the Salisbury VAMC. After completing residency, he will be holding it down in private practice in Winston-Salem, NC."Â

JEROMICA WARD, OD RESIDENCY AT THE MEMPHIS VAMC, MEMPHIS, TN

YOUR SOUTHERN COLLEGE OF OPTOMETRY TEAM