SCO recently hosted its first ever State Day, drawing representatives from 12 state associations and the AOA to facilitate meaningful interaction between students and organized optometry.

Student response was overwhelming, with standing room only attendance to hear a moderated morning panel discussion about current news and initiatives from the state association level. A second moderated panel was held over lunch for first-year students. Questions for the state association representatives were submitted by students in advance, and the faculty strongly encouraged students to attend.

Each state also hosted a booth in the traditional trade show-style format in SCO’s Activity Center. The event afforded students opportunities to network and learn more about the practice in states that interest them.

A number of alumni attended and represented their respective states, including Martha Rosemore Greenberg, OD ’74 (Alabama), Horace Deal, OD ’97 (Georgia), Travis Sharpe, OD ’06 (Kansas), Rod Rallo, OD ’80 and Amanda Higdon, OD ’07 (Kentucky), Keith Menard, OD ’03 (Louisiana), David Parker, OD ’95 (Mississippi), Hal Herring, OD ’74 (North Carolina), John Smith, OD ’80 (South Carolina), Chris Eiler, OD ’01 and Jeff Foster, OD ’81 (Tennessee), and Mark Taylor, OD ’97 (Utah).

Also in attendance were several state association directors and representatives, including Vicki Farmer, Executive Director of the Arkansas Optometric Association; Tom Spetalnick, OD, from Georgia; Michael Hortsman, Executive Director of the Illinois Optometric Association; Robert Blumthal, President of the Illinois Optometric Association, Darlene Eakin, Executive Director of the Kentucky Optometric Association; Linda Ross Aldy, Executive Director of the Mississippi Optometric Association; Bridget Jones, Associate Director of the Tennessee Optometric Association; and Denise Kincaid from the AOA.

A number of representatives expressed their appreciation for SCO being the first optometry school to host such an event along with their hope that the practice catches on at the other 19 schools and colleges of optometry.

“State Day brought us into contact with a number of students who were seriously interested in practicing in our state,” noted Horace Deal, OD ’97. “All of us have been impressed and would like to see this event held elsewhere.”

Special thanks go to Welch-Allyn for donating a panoptic valued at $700 as a student door prize, to VSP and the Hayes Center for Practice Excellence at SCO for additional support of this educational program.