Transitions and the OAC Announce 2023 Students of Vision Scholarship Winners

Monday, January 22 2024 | 11 h 23 min | News

Transitions Optical and the Opticians Association of Canada (OAC) announce the winners of the 2023 Students of Vision Scholarship program: Jeremiah Hyslop, Victoria Cao and MyChan Mai. All three winners will receive an Evaluation Unit pair of Transitions® lenses and the first-place winner will also receive an invitation to Transitions Academy 2024 in Orlando, FL.

• Jeremiah Hyslop, a student Optometrist at the University of Waterloo Optometry, will be awarded a grand prize scholarship of $2,000.
  
• Victoria Cao, a student Optometrist at the University of Waterloo Optometry, will be awarded a scholarship of $1,500.
  
• MyChan Mai, a student optician at the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT), will be awarded a scholarship of $1,000.

This year’s scholarship was inspired by recent research from Transitions Optical, conducted by Wakefield Research, demonstrating the need for further education surrounding eye health for diverse patients. Entrants were tasked with developing a project demonstrating how one would advocate for diversity, equity and inclusion in order to help educate patients and protect their vision. Submissions were reviewed by a panel of judges based on the following criteria: creativity, strategic thinking and ethics.

Jeremiah created an engaging presentation to demonstrate his multi-step plan of action to increase inclusive, multicultural efforts in eyecare. Victoria presented her ‘Vision for All’ initiative which summarized how advocating for diversity, equity and inclusion will ensure that every patient receives the best possible ocular care. MyChan created a presentation to demonstrate why having a diversified team creates a more inclusive culture for staff and patients alike.

“At Transitions, we’re committed to nurturing the next generation of optical professionals to meet the complex eyecare needs of a diverse patient population and our communities. Congratulations to this year’s scholarship winners, enacting positive change within the optical industry starts with you!”

Arnaud Rajchenbach, marketing and sales manager, Transitions Optical Canada

“We were impressed by the passion and creativity exemplified in this year’s applicants,” said Robert Dalton, Executive Director, OAC. “We’re grateful to continue our partnership with Transitions Optical to empower students to develop tactical steps to be more inclusive in their future practice.”

Click HERE for the full press release.

Want to see more like this article? Click here to subscribe to our FREE print magazine and e-newsletters!