Transitions and the OAC Announce the 2024 Students of Vision Scholarship Winners

Wednesday, January 29 2025 | 11 h 51 min | News

Transitions Optical and the Opticians Association of Canada (OAC) announce the winners of the 2024 Students of Vision Scholarship program: Forouzan Zare, Natasha Reyes and Konan M’Boya Grâce Divine.

All three winners will receive a complementary pair of Transitions^® lenses, and the first-place winner will also receive an invitation to Transitions^® Academy 2025 in Orlando, FL.

Forouzan Zare, a student optician at the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT), will be awarded a grand prize scholarship of $2,000.
Natasha Reyes, a student optometrist at the University of Waterloo, will be awarded a scholarship of $1,500.
Konan M’Boya Grâce Divine, an optics and eyewear student at the Cégep François Garneau, will be awarded a scholarship of $1,000.

This year’s scholarship emphasizes the need for greater awareness that prolonged UV exposure from the sun can cause serious eye diseases, potentially leading to vision loss.

Entrants were tasked with developing a project demonstrating how one would educate younger patients about the importance of protecting their eyes from UVA, UVB and blue-violet light. Submissions were reviewed by a panel of judges based on the following criteria: creativity, strategic thinking and ethics.

Be a Vision Hero winner 2024 Transitions OAC contest — Grand prize winner Forouzan says, “For me this project means more than the scholarship, it’s the foundation of something I want to dedicate my career to. My dream is to create a real, professionally produced book that inspires kids to care for their eyes while having fun.”

Forouzan created a children’s book titled “Be a Vision Hero, Protect Your Eyes in Style” to inspire young readers to adopt healthy vision habits in an engaging and accessible way.

Natasha produced a short video offering valuable statistics and insights on how optometrists can better educate patients about eye health.

Konan’s presentation demonstrated an interaction between her and a young consumer where she gave a thorough explanation of how the eye works and the types of protection needed.

Transitions OAC winner 1 Forouzan Zare — Forouzan Zare

Transitions OAC winner 2 Natasha Reyes — Forouzan Zare

“At Transitions, we’re committed to empowering the next generation of optical professionals to advocate for proper eye protection. Congratulations to this year’s scholarship winners, your dedication to protecting youth vision is truly commendable!”

Arnaud Rajchenbach, marketing and sales manager, Transitions Optical Canada

“We were inspired by the creativity, passion and attention to detail demonstrated in this year’s applicants. We’re thrilled to continue our partnership with Transitions Optical to support future eye care professionals in promoting early vision protection ensuring lifelong eye health.”

Robert Dalton, Executive Director, OAC

Click HERE for the press release.

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