A series of articles written by SCCO Student Ambassadors.

Community at SCCO

by SCCO Student Ambassador, Michelle Le

With over 20 optometry schools in the United States, I considered multiple factors in choosing which ones to apply to. Location was important to me as I wanted to stay close to my family in southern California, but I also knew that I wanted to learn in a supportive and collaborative environment. Through talking with current SCCO students and listening to Eryn’s presentation for the pre-optometry club at UCLA, they all shared how encouraging everyone is and how willing everyone is to help one another. It was difficult to imagine this, as I came from a large public undergraduate university, so I wanted to apply to see if the testimonies held true.

On the morning of my drive to SCCO for interview day, I had a million thoughts running through my head. Should I review what I have prepared for the interview? What questions did I want to ask again? Did I remember to bring my professional shoes? I was overwhelmed with nervousness, but the minute I walked onto the campus, they quickly disappeared.

From the festive decorations to the welcoming faculty members at check-in, my interview day felt more like a celebration rather than a test to see if I qualified for a spot in their incoming class. The faculty never failed to remind the interviewees of how proud we should be of our accomplishments thus far and they constantly checked in to make sure we were comfortable throughout the day.

For a school that consistently emphasized the tight-knit community aspect, I finally was able to feel this firsthand on interview day. Chatting with Eryn in one of the rotations, talking with student ambassadors, and watching how current students and faculty interacted with each other made it evident how SCCO was not just a school but a second home for many. I learned about the abundance of resources available to students, such as free tutoring and wellness checks. Additionally, something I thought was impressive was how professors would make themselves readily available for students for proficiencies even during non-traditional school hours. They truly want every student to excel, and the high board pass rates and on-time graduation percentages were the result of all these resources and efforts at SCCO.

All in all, interview day was a major contributor to my decision to join the SCCO class of 2027. I was just a prospective student, but throughout the application process, they welcomed me with open arms and treated me like a colleague even though I may not choose SCCO in the end. I felt like I belonged to this community early on in my application process and now, as I start the school year, I feel confident in my ability to succeed. My childhood dream was to become an optometrist (as seen by my yearbook quote in the 9^th grade) and it’s surreal to believe that I’m only a few years away from becoming one.

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