Retired Assistant Dean of Admissions, SCCO
I’m an international student so moving to foreign countries is second nature to me! Beginning a professional program is difficult and nerve wracking on its own. It is even more overwhelming when you have to pack up your life and move across oceans to turn your dreams into reality.
Growing up in the cultural melting pot of Southern California, I found comfort in my cultural and ethnic identity because it helped me define myself. As a child of Egyptian immigrants with agricultural roots, hard work and resilience were core values that enriched my environment through multiple outlets that contributed to my overall development.
Why did I choose to major in dance in undergrad if I planned on pursuing a career in optometry? What was I hoping to gain? Was I wasting my time?
These are questions I asked myself as I plowed through hours of homework, studying, and rehearsals while majoring in both dance and biological sciences at UC Irvine. Since high school, I was set on being an optometrist
As a first generation college student with parents who were unable to support me financially, making the decision to pursue optometry school took a lot of consideration. Not only is the cost of attending optometry school a big consideration, but for students who are financially independent, even just the cost of preparing and applying to optometry school can be daunting….
I would love to share my story on how I found my passion within optometry in the hopes that aspiring optometry students can relate. If you are feeling indecisive or confused on what career path to take after graduating, know that I have been in your shoes and it will be okay.
When I was two years old, my parents noticed that my left eye had an involuntary turning in that my right eye didn’t share. My eyes didn’t yoke together and work as a team. One trip to the eye doctor, and I had my very first pair of glasses.
I haven’t known a life with uncorrected vision with eyeglasses, and I couldn’t be more thankful for this fact. Vision has always been an interest of mine, even when I thought my life was taking a different path during my undergraduate program. However, when I had the amazing opportunity to work as an optician, I knew that a career in eyecare was the right path.
Because I had my heart set on SCCO from the very beginning, when it came time to apply, SCCO was the only optometry school to which I applied. While applying to only one school has its risks, it also has its benefits…
Lots of Other Things On Your Plate While Studying for the OAT? Here’s My Advice from SCCO Student Ambassador, Kaitlyn Tsou
A series of articles written by SCCO Student Ambassadors, Canadian Brynn Babey explains how she researched optometry schools in both Canada and the U.S. and why she choose SCCO.
A series of articles written by SCCO Student Ambassadors. First up is Gabriela Orozco. “Growing up, I always loved going to the optometrist because it was the only doctor’s appointment I actually looked forward to; but as I got older, I realized not many people shared this same experience.”
Optometry Admissions Blog 