Impactful Career Moments, From OWA Member Opticians

Opticianry, with its intimate nature and many diverse roles, is teaming with uplifting stories that have touched our optical souls. These experiences are what keep us measuring pd’s, solving non-adapts and perfecting our lens design recommendations. So pull up a chair, pour a cup of tea, and allow us to share our experiences that meant the most.

I have been very fortunate in my 45 years as an optician to have so many different and exciting roles, those of dispenser, optical manager, marketing manager, sales representative, frame company COO, industry consultant  and lastly teacher.  

There have been a multitude of wonderful experiences in every role but  when pressed, I think the most memorable occurred in what is now my favorite role, that of teacher. 

I am an adjunct instructor at the Franklin Cummings Technical Institute’s Opticianry Program in Boston, where I teach Optical Business.  We are an inner city school, with a very diverse student population, some are new high school graduates, some are second career, many are English second language, and some are even new to the United States.

Several years ago I had a student who had recently immigrated from Central America. When he arrived in the United States, he spoke no English at all, but then worked very hard to become language proficient. He told me that before he had enrolled in our program, he had been cleaning a five story building, every day, all by himself. He came to the realization that if he didn’t change something in his life  he would be cleaning that same building for minimum wage for years and maybe forever. 

Our program at FCTech is designed so students can attend classes AND work, which is important because most are supporting themselves. This young man would arrive to class at 8 in the morning, attend classes and study until 6pm and then he would go directly to his job as a waiter, which ended often at 2am, sleep for 3-4 hours and then the next day, start it all over again. He did this every day for two years. He often struggled to stay awake in class but always did his work and he excelled in the program. We spent a lot of time discussing this hardship and sacrifice, but he was determined.  

Three months before graduating and obtaining his professional license, he had in hand 10 job offers, all excellent and each more competitive than the other. He chose very carefully and has gone on to have an amazing career as a licensed professional optician in Boston.

My most memorable experience as an optician came when a couple of years later, I had the pleasure of seeing him at an educational conference. He pulled me aside and proudly announced that he had just purchased the very first home for his family. 

Sometimes what impacts us most as opticians is not just what we do,  but what we become:)

-Dibby Bartlett, LDO, ABOC, NCLEC

Dibby Tells Her Story:

One of my most memorable experiences as an optician was with a man who came in because his glasses weren’t working for him, but he had missed the recheck window. Instead of turning him away, I took the time to reassess his prescription, examine his old pair, and make small adjustments before reordering his glasses. When he returned, I was there again. The moment he put them on, he choked up and started crying. That was the day I truly understood our impact as opticians.

Moments like that happen every day — seeing someone light up with their first pair of glasses, helping a patient find a frame they never would have considered but instantly love, fixing a mangled pair that means the world to its owner, or even finding the right tiny screw for duct-taped temples. We listen, we put smiles on faces, we educate.

But that day, it wasn’t just about fixing glasses - it was about restoring trust, confidence, and quality of life. Beyond technical skills, being an optician is about heart, patience, and the willingness to make someone’s day better. That’s why I do what I do, and it’s a feeling I never want to lose. -Judy Quinones, LDO, ABO-AC, NCLEC

I have so many memorable moments being an Optician like the first time a child puts on +4.00 D lenses and can really see or helping a first time presbyope learn how to use their progressive glasses but the most memorable moment was when I was presented with my Optician's license and I saw the pride on my father's face. My father was an Optician who started in the business at 16 years old and opened his own optical store in his 20's.  He really wanted one of his 5 kids to follow in his footsteps and that was me.  Being an Optician opened so many doors for me in my multiple careers and I continue to keep my license to this day, 39 years later.

-Trudi Charest, RO

Our profession offers countless memorable patient encounters. From witnessing the joy of a toddler achieving clear vision for the first time, to restoring near vision for emerging presbyopes, the impact of opticianry is profound. However, one experience from a volunteer vision mission in rural Mexico stands out. During the mission, I encountered a centenarian patient who had never worn glasses. The examination revealed a significant presbyopic correction. Utilizing a repurposed frame and approximating his required add power, we were able to provide him with his first pair of reading glasses. His immediate response was honestly remarkable; the patient's face lit up with a broad smile as he experienced clear near vision for the first time in his life. The sheer gratitude conveyed through his expression and subsequent embrace underscored the profound difference we can make. Not just these memorable moments but what we see and do daily. These experiences reinforced my commitment to the optician's role in improving quality of life through vision care.  

-Donna Schaub, LDO, ABOC, NCLEC

One of my most unforgettable moments as an optician happened early in my career in Saratoga Springs, NY, when a pediatric patient came in on a Friday afternoon with a broken frame. Having no replacement available and my mentor already gone, I had to figure out a solution on my own. After some searching and improvising, I was able to create a temporary fix, much to the relief of the patient and his mom. This experience taught me the true value of being resourceful and staying calm under pressure, reminding me why being an optician is so rewarding—helping people see better and feel better, no matter the challenge. -Amanda Parizo, LDO, ABOC

When I was working as an Optician with a team of Ophthalmologists, I learned about some of their personal interest in mission work.  Even though I was an optician, I was invited to bring my public health background, Spanish skills and opticianry skills to Peru. My doctors asked me to learn how to measure Ks and do A Scans. I leveraged my teammates from our large practice and learned the needed skills. I was ready to go do the biometry readings for my doctors so they could perform cataract surgeries in the Cusco River valley. Despite having asked, checked and double checked, when we arrived, the promised A Scan equipment was not to be found. My role had evaporated. I was with a team of nurses, nurse anesthetists, doctors and surgery techs.  No one was there for glasses; I didn’t even bring a screwdriver so I could help folks in the waiting room. Luckily my optical vocabulary and Spanish proved super useful. I was able to scribe for my doctors, organize their surgery schedules and help translate for patients and team members alike. I got to be in the room for the initial exam, greet the patient on surgery day and help nurses communicate what they were doing, being in the OR and witness ex-capsular cataract extractions, be in the recovery room and be in the room the next day when the patch came off! One of our doctors also did strabismus surgeries. Olga had been shunned for years as a result of her strabismus. When I got to be with her from beginning to end and be with her when she saw herself for the first time with straight eyes, there wasn’t a dry eye in the room. I had never loved being an optician more than that precise moment when she threw her arms around me. I hadn’t held a scalpel, but my role, despite the hard pivot, had let me connect more deeply with every patient we served. I love the connections with the Olgas as well as every patient whose glasses I have fit, built, adjusted, troubleshooted or repaired.  People make this career so rewarding! -Cira Collins, ABOM, NCLEC, MPH

When reflecting back on my clinical work, I would say that my most impactful moment of patient care is not just one moment, it's a countless number of them — all of which can be channeled into one definition: the role of an optician. Being afforded the ability to help those in need, with not just anything — their sight — is a privilege that no optician takes for granted. Some impactful examples where I, as an optician, was able to provide exceptional patient care include: adjusting a patients frame to not land on a scar from recent brain surgery, connecting a low income patient with four diopters of cylinder with an organization that provides free glasses, taking the time to make sure that a patient gets their countless number of questions answered, providing school nurses with better tools for children's vision screenings, finding a frame on the board that the patients lenses will temporarily fit into because theirs broke, ordering the best frame, lens, material and treatment combination for that patients needs, and sometimes it can even be as simple as replacing a screw in a barrel. Opticians hold a unique arsenal of skills, which parlays to an exceptionally rewarding career.

-Carissa Dunphy, ABOC

One of my most memorable experiences as an optician came a few years ago when I had the privilege of working with a non-profit organization dedicated to providing free eye exams and eyeglasses to children in underserved communities.

Every week, my team and I would take our mobile clinic to various school sites, and it was incredible to see the excitement and nervousness in the children who were having their first eye exams. Many of them were in desperate need of glasses, and witnessing their reactions when they finally put on their new eyewear for the first time was truly heartwarming.

I remember one particular little girl (who ended up being a high myope) put on her new glasses for the first time and gasped as she looked around the room, seeing everything clearly for the first time! Her joy was contagious, and it reminded me why I love what I do. It wasn't just about the exams or the eyewear; it was about transforming lives and opening up a world of possibilities for these kids. Those moments reaffirmed my commitment to this field and highlighted the impact we can have as opticians. It’s experiences like these that fuel my passion, they reinforce the importance of our work and the difference we make in our communities!

-Monica Wilburn, LDO, ABO-AC, NCLEC

I have so many experiences from my time in the practice that have stuck with me. From supporting our local community with education about the importance of eye health, to putting glasses on children and watching them truly see for the first time, to literally saving lives in the doctor's chair. That last case is probably the most memorable for me. Two times in my career while working in the practice, myself and my doctor identified serious health risks for a patient that literally saved their life. The most memorable for me was with a young female patient that was a new mom. She came in for a routine eye exam after having her baby three months prior. She noticed some vision changes, which is common both during and after pregnancy, and wanted to be evaluated. As I clicked the shutter while taking her retinal images, I immediately noticed a reasonably sized growth in the back of her eye.

She of course, as many patients do, asked if everything looked ok, to which I stated, "the Doctor will go over your images with you" with a smile on my face. Truthfully, as she left me in pre-test, my heart sank a little. Here was this new mom, full of excitement of the new life she created and all the years ahead of them, not knowing that she had a tumor in the back of her head. Our Doctor, being super detail oriented and proactive, immediately scheduled her with an Ophthalmologist and requested she follow up with her primary care physician. Thankfully, after further testing, it was established that the tumor was benign; a huge sigh of relief for all of us. Explaining the importance of retinal images and convincing her to do screening images that day, may have saved her life if it was in fact a cancerous tumor. Without those images, she wouldn't have known what she couldn't see. This was a pivotal moment in my career, as it made me truly understand that we as opticians are more than just individuals that sell glasses - we bring education, support and hope to our patients. -Katie Lauver, ABOC

My most memorable experience as an optician was in an office where most of us were cross trained. The ideal situation had the same optician pre-testing the patient, handing off to the doc, picking up from the doc and choosing eyewear. There was an 8 year old little girl whose family were all beloved longtime patients. I had the highest numbers in patients accepting the $49 Optos imaging during their exam and this little girl was no exception. After letting the mom and little girl know that the doctor would be right in to complete their exam, I pulled up the images in the doctor's office before he went in as the optic nerve looked odd compared to the images from the year before. After an emergency referral we found out that the little girl had a brain tumor the size of a softball. Thankfully the tumor was effectively shrunk and operated on. We saw that little girl for many happy visits after. But the moment that will stick with me most is when the mother came back into the office after the diagnosis. She was so grateful to the doctor for identifying the abnormality. Then she went out of her way and came to me. The mother was so grateful and was so thankful that I so confidently recommended the retinal image as a possible lifesaver if it does catch anything. Her genuine gratitude was a moment I will never forget. A great reminder that what we do really does have a massive purpose and value for our patients. We should be very proud of what we do. -Kayla Ashlee, ABOC

Being part of the OWA supports our commitment to elevating our profession of opticianry and take full advantage of the opportunities before us.

If you’re a member of the Optical Women’s Association and know an optician who could benefit from our community, please share this article.

If you are not a member of the OWA, join us, won’t you?

Written by: Dibby Bartlett