Southern College of Optometry formally welcomed the Class of 2020 into the profession of optometry with a white coat ceremony on Monday, August 29. More than 500 family, friends, and faculty members were on hand to witness each student receive his or her white coat (generously provided by Marchon) and sign SCO's honor code.
Officiating were Dr. Lewis Reich, SCO President, Dr. J. Bart Campbell, Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dr. James Venable, Vice President for Clinical Programs, Joe Hauser, Vice President for Student Services, and Mary Nethaway Chase, '18, Student Government Association President.
The Class of 2020 includes 136 students who were selected from 877 applicants. The class recorded an average grade point average of 3.53 and an average 328 score on the Optometry Admissions Test (OAT). Their addition to the SCO student body brings SCO's number of full-time students to 531, the most since 1982.
During the ceremony, 33 students were recognized for receiving scholarships, including:
- Christy Alfano, of Orlando, Florida, who received the Stern-Maronek Family Endowed Scholarship
- A.J. Barbiero, of Salt Lake City, Utah, who received the Presidential Endowed Scholarship
- Leslie Cline, of Bowling Green, Kentucky, who received the Dr. Cheryl Johnson Memorial Endowed Scholarship
- Jordan Dravitzki, of Stromsburg, Nebraska, who received the Board of Trustees - Thomas Gulley Scholarship
- Jared Freeman, of Plantation, Florida, who received the Dean's Endowed Scholarship
- Anna Fuller, of Ruston, Louisiana, who received the New Orleans Contact Lens Society Endowed Scholarship
- Torrie Garner, of Huntingdon, Pennsylvania, who received the Board of Trustees - Donna Abney Scholarship
- Kelci Glover, of Wichita, Kansas, who received the Presidential Endowed Scholarship
- Katie Hardy, of Sedalia, Missouri, who received the Dr. William R. Jackson, Jr. Memorial Endowed Scholarship
- Alyssa Invergo, of Peotone, Illinois, who received the Board of Trustees - Linda Johnson Scholarship
- Cori Jones, of Cheney, Kansas, who received the Dean's Endowed Scholarship
- Kate Keefer, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, who received the Alston & Byrd Endowed Scholarship
- Callie Mashburn, of Sweetwater, Tennessee, who received the Sullins Family Endowed Scholarship
- Destiny McDuffie, of Winterville, North Carolina, who received the SCO Alumni Endowed Scholarship
- Matt Meredith, of Louisville, Kentucky, Dr. Ramona Porter Clifton Endowed Scholarship
- Alison Moore, of Memphis, Tennessee, who received the Drs. Charlene & Fred Burnett Endowed Scholarship
- Madelyn Mullally, of Le Mars, Iowa, who received the Covington/Andreas Endowed Scholarship
- Erin Neal, of Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania, who received the Dr. Vaughn Parfitt Endowed Scholarship
- Rachel Newland, of Parsons, Kansas, who received the Drs. Helen and Christopher King Endowed Scholarship
- Jhaleil Phillips, of McDonough, Georgia, who received the Board of Trustees - Linda Johnson Scholarship
- Melissa Pongratz, of Fort Worth, Texas, who received the Board of Trustees - Thomas Gulley Scholarship
- Brian Post, of Tallahassee, Florida, who received the Dr. William E. Cochran Endowed Scholarship
- Kristen Purdy, of Solon, Iowa, who received the Dean's Endowed Scholarship
- Stephanie Ross, of Nokomis, Florida, who received the Dr. Earl Lusk Endowed Scholarship
- Michaela Sasse, of Gaylord, Kansas, who received the Board of Trustees - Martha Morrow Scholarship
- Emily Scully, of Batavia, Illinois, who received the SCO Alumni Endowed Scholarship
- Trevor Shealy, of Cordele, Georgia, who received the Dr. L. Wayne Brown Memorial Endowed Scholarship
- Jacob Smith, of Athens, Alabama, who received the Dean's Endowed Scholarship
- Katie Stuckey, of Ruston, Louisiana, who received the Dr. Camille Chiasson Endowed Scholarship
- Al'Tiana Watson, of Savannah, Georgia, who received the Dr. Joel T. Byars Endowed Scholarship
- Jake Weber, of Milford, Nebraska, who received the Presidential Endowed Scholarship
- Rachel Werner, of Maple Valley, Washington, who received the Precisions Endowed Scholarship
- Annie Wester, of Cleghorn, Iowa, who received the Presidential Endowed Scholarship.

Scholarship recipients:
Destiny McDuffie, Brian Post, A.J. Barbiero
Alison Moore, Kate Keefer, Jhaleil Phillips, Trevor Shealy
Rachel Newland, Madelyn Mullally, Jared Freedman
Cori Jones, Al’Tiana Watson, Katie Hardy

Scholarship recipients:
Jacob Smith, Jake Weber, Katie Stuckey
Callie Mashburn, Melissa Pongratz, Michaela Sasse, Emily Scully
Kelci Glover, Erin Neal, Alyssa Invergo, Kristen Purdy

Scholarship recipients:
Matt Meredith, Torrie Garner, Jordan Dravitzki
Annie Wester, Leslie Cline, Stephanie Ross, Christy Alfano
Rachel Werner, Anna Fuller
A video recording of the ceremony may be viewed via SCO's YouTube channel:
View photo gallery coverage of the ceremony and post-reception.