The Class of 2021 celebrated its commencement on Tuesday, May 4 at FedEx Forum. SCO worked with the sports arena to welcome graduates, a limited number of guests, and faculty members for a physically distanced ceremony.
Samantha Harris was named Class Valedictorian, while Samantha Lee was Salutatorian. Class President Marie Huegel spoke for the entire class in saluting our graduates’ commitment to seeing commencement day in person. The class selected John Mark Jackson, OD ’99, as Teacher of the Year.
Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland encouraged the graduates to embrace their future confident that they’ve successfully demonstrated their ability to meet life’s challenges head-on through service. Mayor Strickland received an honorary degree, along with Joyce Urbeck, retired Director of the Accreditation Council on Optometric Education.
In lieu of hosting a separate Senior Awards Ceremony, graduates were honored during the ceremony with recognition of outstanding and academic clinical achievements. Thanks to the generosity of alumni and friends, more than $60,000 in awards were presented. Below is a list of the awards presented:
EXCELLENCE IN ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT
NATIONAL BOARD OF EXAMINERS PART II AWARD ($1,000)
Samantha Harris
EXCELLENCE IN CLINICAL ACHIEVEMENT
LUCY KATHERINE BONE ORGAIN AWARD ($1,000)
Stephanie Jones
Trevor Smith
Sara Stockwell
CHRISTINE AND GEORGE DUCOTE, OD ’40 SCHOLARSHIP ($500)
Marina Naguib
ESSILOR LABS OF AMERICA AWARD ($500)
Danielle Zasoski
EXCELLENCE IN CONTACT LENS
BAUSCH & LOMB ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP ($500)
Stephanie Martich
JOHNSON & JOHNSON AWARD OF EXCELLENCE IN CONTACT LENS PATIENT CARE ($500 and Plaque)
Jesse Boles
GP LENS INSTITUTE CONTACT LENS CLINICAL EXCELLENCE AWARD (Gas Permeable Diagnostic Lens Set and Plaque)
Dylan Johnston
X-CEL CONTACTS OUTSTANDING GP FITTING AWARD (Atlantis Scleral Diagnostic Kit)
Brittany Darnley
SOUTHWEST CONTACT LENS SOCIETY ($1,500)
Savannah Caro
KATENA/EAGLE VISION AWARD (Super Eagle Practice Builder’s Kit)
Natalie Nibert
KATENA/EAGLE VISION AWARD (Arita Meibomian Gland Expressor)
Whitney Driver
KATENA/EAGLE VISION AWARD (Diamond Series Lenses with Carrying Case)
Aspen Chun
EXCELLENCE IN LOW VISION REHABILITATION
NOIR MEDICAL TECHNOLOGIES LOW VISION AWARD (NoIR Eyewear for low vision)
Casey Oltman
ESCHENBACH OPTIK LOW VISION AWARD (Video Magnifier with an HD Camera)
Kelly Sieps
DESIGNS FOR VISIONS, INC. WILLIAM FEINBLOOM LOW VISION AWARD (Trial Set and Plaque)
Anita Nguyen
OPTELEC EXCELLENCE IN LOW VISION AWARD (Optelec Low Vision Starter Kit)
Jordan Ukena
EXCELLENCE IN ADULT PRIMARY CARE
ALCON CASE STUDY SCHOLARSHIP AWARD ($1,000)
Hannah Fann
SOUTHERN COUNCIL OF OPTOMETRISTS CLINICAL EXCELLENCE AWARD ($1,000)
Malena Landon Erickson
DR. BERNARD L. KAHN MEMORIAL ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP ($2,000)
Ye Ji Kim
NATIONAL VISION, INC. AWARD ($1,000)
Catherine Thomas
EXCELLENCE IN OCULAR DISEASE
DR. MOHAMMAD RAFIEETARY ACADEMIC AND CLINICAL EXCELLENCE AWARD ($1,000)
Jacquelyn Brown
EXCELLENCE IN PEDIATRICS AND VISION THERAPY
GOOD-LITE AWARD (Pediatric Vision Testing and Evaluation Products)
Noelle Tchang
COLLEGE OF OPTOMETRISTS IN VISION DEVELOPMENT EXCELLENCE IN VISION THERAPY (Plaque, 1st year associate membership free, and meeting registration credit)
Leslie Jones
GLEN T. STEELE, OD AND L. ALLEN FORS, OD DEVELOPMENTAL VISION SCHOLARSHIP Given in honor of Glen T. Steele, OD ’69 and the late L. Allen Fors, OD ’69. ($1,000)
Nathaniel Jensen
Arianna Schabauer
OPTOMETRIC EXTENSION PROGRAM CLINICAL CURRICULUM AWARD (Complimentary Registration and 5-day Course)
Breeley Sellier
OUTSTANDING CLINICIAN AWARDS
Given in memory of former faculty member, Robert L. Henry, OD. Selected by the clinical faculty on the basis of overall exemplary clinical performance during senior year. ($1,000 and Plaque)
Ishan Gandhi
Samantha Harris
Alexis Hogan
Jonathan Ismond
Autumn Killop
Samantha Lee
Athena Mears
Michelle Nagro
Kelly Sieps
Kelsey Whitcomb
EXCELLENCE IN STUDENT RESEARCH
BURNETT ENDOWED AWARD FOR STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT IN RESEARCH Established by Charlene Burnett, OD ’83 and the late Fred Burnett, OD ’80. ($1,000)
Madeleine McBain
Natalie Nibert
Makayla Porter
FOR COMMITMENT OF SERVICE TO THE PROFESSION OF OPTOMETRY AND THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE
SUSAN GRISSOM MEMORIAL ENDOWED AWARD ($1,000)
Hannah Fann
SECO PAST PRESIDENTS ENDOWED AWARD ($1,000)
Chisom Chukwumerije
BEAU WILLIS ENDOWED AWARD ($1,000)
Samantha Lee
DR. DAVID P. SLOAN MEMORIAL AWARD ($500)
Casey Krug
BAYS FAMILY ENDOWED SERVICE AWARD ($500)
Kelsey Whitcomb
SOUTHWEST COUNCIL OF OPTOMETRY ENDOWED AWARD ($1,000)
Greyson Ramos
CLASS OF 1967 MEMORIAL ENDOWED AWARD ($1,000)
Casey Krug and Lauren Watson
MARK J. MURPHY ENDOWED AWARD ($1,000)
Leslie Jones
SPARROW, EVANS, AND WAYMON ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP ($1,000)
Autumn Killop
TO HONOR A GRADUATE’S COMMITMENT TO PURSUING PRIVATE PRACTICE OPTOMETRY
DR. SIDNEY EDELSTEIN ENDOWED AWARD ($1,000)
Anna Katherine Lansdell
WINSTON FAMILY ENDOWED AWARD ($1,000)
Sophia Johnson
TOM AND LOUIS HYDE SCHOLARSHIP ($2,000)
Nathaniel Jensen
WILLIAM DICKERSON, JR. OD SCHOLARSHIP ($1,000)
Cubdeerix Robinson
DR. FRED H. MOTHERSHED ENDOWED AWARD ($1,000)
Jonathan Eide
HALPERN FAMILY ENDOWED AWARD ($1,000)
Alexis Williams Smith
DR. JAMES D. SANDEFUR ENDOWED AWARD ($1,000)
Rachel Briggs and Andrew Leto
SPIVEY FAMILY ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP ($1,000)
Brooke Spivey
EUROPA EYEWEAR AWARD (30 Starter Frames)
Valerie Williams
THE SOUTHEAST VT FORUM SCHOLARSHIP In memory of Dr. Sam Horner Jr. and in honor of W.C. Maples, OD ’68. ($1,000)
Arianna Schabauer
STEREO OPTICAL CO., INC. (Borish Vectrograhic Near Point Card)
Tommy Cung
KEVIN ROGERS, OD ’08 PRACTICE MANAGEMENT AWARD ($500)
Lindsey Caudle
The ceremony was recorded and is available for viewing on SCO’s YouTube page, the senior class video.
You may also view a PDF of the program here.