Salus PCO fourth-year student, Nicole Rist '16OD, is the new Varilux Optometry Student Bowl national champion. She won her title on June 25 at Optometry’s Meeting, the annual conference of the American Optometry Association, held in Seattle this year.
Competing against student contestants from 21 North American schools and colleges of optometry, Ms. Rist scored higher than any of them by answering questions compiled by a panel of experts, who were ably led for the fifth time by Dr. Linda Casser, optometry professor and interim director of education for the University’s Physician Assistant program.
The always well-attended and much anticipated Varilux Student Bowl is one of the highlights of the AOA conference, with students from each school dressed in specially-designed T-shirts displaying their team names and carrying noisemakers and posters in support of their school’s representative. Salus PCO students – the Seattle Seehawks – did a great job of supporting Nicole, who was awarded a $1,000 prize by Essilor/Varilux and will have her name engraved on the crystal trophy, which hasn’t been in Elkins Park since the 2011 victory of Ian McWherter, OD '12.
Well done, Nicole! Congratulations – and thank you for making all of us proud!
Photo credit: Ryan Chia '17OD