OPT Visionary - Fall 2016

20 • NOVA SOUTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY Students Lend Support at Health Fair On June 4–5, NSUCO’s National Optometric Student Associa- tion (NOSA) participated in the Smiley’s Voice Foundation Seventh Annual Health Fair and Family Fun Day. During the event, the participating students educated people about the importance of having comprehensive, dilated-eye examinations and the relationship between three silent killers—hypertension, diabetes, and high cholesterol—and vision loss. NOSA is the student branch of the National Optometric Association (NOA), which was founded in 1969 in Richmond, Virginia. The recruitment of diverse students for the schools and colleges of optometry, and their placement into appropri- ate practice settings upon graduation, are two basic NOA concerns. Coincident with these concerns is the delivery of effective eye and vision care services to the community. The association also promotes strong community involvement locally and internationally through vision screenings, mission trips, and health fairs. u NSUCO Student Receives National Scholarship Class of 2016 student Jeremy Chartash re- ceived a $5,000 Dr. Pat & Patrick Cummings Scholarship fromThe AOA Foundation— the charitable organization of the American Optometric Association (AOA). The AOA Foundation administers numerous scholar- ships that encourage students to make a difference in their communities and in the optometry profession. In tribute to father and son, both of whom passed away in separate tragic accidents, the Dr. Pat & Patrick Cummings Memorial Fund was established through Optometry Cares and generously funded by numerous individual donors, as well as through a large contribution from Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc. Because the senior Cummings was a dedi- cated philanthropist in his profession, the scholarship requires recipients to write an essay about their goals in the area of public health and leadership roles in optometry. u From left: Class of 2019 students Jin Chiu, Jemila Abdulgabbar, Annette Elakatt, and Irina Silva, and class of 2018 student Ashley Noble Student Segment