Congratulations Graduates
Welcome to the site for all things related to the doctoral hooding and commencement of the Ferris State University Michigan College of Optometry Class of 2023! We are all proud of these 37 women and men who worked hard to get into MCO four years ago and then worked even harder since arriving in August of 2019 to become the doctors of optometry you see as you scroll down this page.
This class of optometrists have made it through seven semesters of very challenging course work and laboratories, four semesters of serving patients from all over Michigan and beyond at the University Eye Center, three national board examinations, three external rotations at clinics, hospitals, and practices all over Michigan and the United States, and a global pandemic the likes of which had not been seen over a century. Because they have made it through these challenges, we have every confidence that they will be among the best doctors of optometry to come out of MCO!
Please join the faculty, staff, and administration of Michigan College of Optometry in congratulating the Class of 2023. May you all enjoy long, successful careers serving all patients who may come to you for care.
Hooding Ceremony will be in-person for the first time in 2 years, we will be able to hold this event and share this milestone day with family and friends.
- Hooding Ceremony will take place at Ferris State Univeristy's David L. Eisler Center at 11:00 a.m. on May 5.
- FSU Commencement for Optometry will take place at the Ferris State University's - Convocation Center at 3:30 pm on May 5th.
Class of 2023
Hometown: Big Rapids, MI.
Plans After Graduation: I will be practicing in Ann Arbor, MI.
MCO Memory: Representing MCO at the Student Bowl at OM and the Stress Relief Nights!
Hometown: Lakhore, Pakistan
Plans After Graduation: Work in corporate
Hometown: Austin, MN
Plans After Graduation: After graduating I will be joining a private practice in Minnesota.
MCO Memory: I loved the community atmosphere. Specifically, I enjoyed the lunch hour
between classes and lab/clinic where a lot of us stayed to eat around the third floor
tables.
Hometown: Byron Center, MI.
Plans After Graduation: Naval officer stationed in Illinois at Great Lakes Naval Station
MCO Memory: All of the lifelong friends I have made
Hometown: Richmond Hill, Ontario
Plans After Graduation: My plan after graduation is getting licensed and starting
work at an optometry practice in Ontario. I plan on enjoying this summer as it also
leads up to my wedding in September.
MCO Memory: My best MCO memory is meeting everyone for the first time and playing
icebreakers at the ropes course during orientation week. That is where I was reassured
that I’d experience the next four years with a very friendly, kind and supportive
class.
Hometown: Roscommon, MI.
Plans After Graduation: Having a relaxing summer and planning on practicing in Manitowoc,
WI.
MCO Memory: Meeting my future wife!
Hometown: St. Clair, MI.
Plans After Graduation: After graduation I will be joining Cutlerville Eyecare as
an associate optometrist.
MCO Memory: It's hard to choose just one thing. I can easily say the common denominator
is the amazing friends I've made. Some things include: game nights, OM, AOSA Bar Crawl,
intramural volleyball, and the Dominica SVOSH trip.
Hometown: Leslie, MI.
Plans After Graduation: Cornea and Contact Lens Residency with an emphasis in anterior
segment disease in Madison, WI.
MCO Memory: Breaking the ropes at the ropes course day 1 of orientation week
Hometown: Mt. Pleasant, MI.
Plans After Graduation: I will be working at Shoreline Vision, an OD/MD practice in
Muskegon, Michigan!
MCO Memory: Optometry's Meeting 2022!
Hometown: Caledonia, MI.
Plans After Graduation: I will be moving back to my hometown to work at a private
practice.
MCO Memory: Tubing down the Muskegon River as a class!
Hometown: Caledonia, MI.
Plans After Graduation: I will be doing an ocular disease residency at Illinois College
of Optometry in Chicago, Illinois.
MCO Memory: All of my favorite memories include being with the most amazing classmates
and friends that I met at MCO. I will miss weekly game nights, trips to traverse city,
playing yard games and intramural volleyball.
Hometown: St. Johns, MI.
Plans After Graduation: I will be returning to my hometown of St. Johns and joining
a team of doctors at a local private practice to help serve my surrounding community
MCO Memory: Participating in the low vision clinic and providing magnification devices
to local Big Rapids community members suffering from visual impairments.
Hometown: Fredericton, NB
Plans After Graduation: : I'll be practicing in Kelowna, British Columbia. I'll be
re-equilibrating my work/life balance with much golf.
MCO Memory: My best memory was going into the 3rd year classroom for interactive classes
such as Low Vision as I thought it was the perfect mix of academic and practical.
Hometown: Oakland, MI
Plans After Graduation: I will be working in Michigan
MCO Memory: Tubing down the river the summer before third year! It was fun finally
being able to hangout as a group after having so many virtual classes.
Hometown: Grosse Ile, MI.
Plans After Graduation: I have accepted a position at the Byrd and Wyandotte Eye Clinic
in Wyandotte, Michigan.
MCO Memory: My favorite MCO memory is the welcome back picnics/river house parties
because you get to meet all the incoming students and see the current students outside
of school.
Hometown: Holt, MI.
Plans After Graduation: After school, I plan to work in a more retail environment
around the Lansing area before finding a more long term position at a private practice
in the future.
MCO Memory: Receiving 20 minutes of great jokes every morning in post seg.
Hometown: Battle Creek, MI.
Plans After Graduation: I will be moving to Lynchburg, Virginia to begin full time
work at a corporate retail optometry office. I will also be planning my wedding and
working towards earning my yoga-teacher certification.
MCO Memory: My most found memories of MCO all revolve around the support and love
I received from the friends I made in the program
Hometown: Mt. Pleasant, MI.
Plans After Graduation: I will be staying in Michigan. I will be working at a private
practice four days a week (the same practice I worked for as a technician while completing
my undergraduate studies) I will also be working at SVS vision one day a week.
MCO Memory: My favorite memory at MCO was Friendsgiving with my classmates and professors.
Hometown: Ishpeming, MI.
Plans After Graduation: I am doing a Low Vision Rehabilation residency at New England
College of Optometry in Boston, MA. After the residency I would like to practice in
Michigan.
MCO Memory: Being a part of the AOSA and going to Optometry's Meeting in Chicago with
my classmates.
Hometown: Shelby Township, MI
Plans After Graduation: Henry Ford OptimEyes in Troy
MCO Memory: EyeBall!
Hometown: Grand Rapids, MI.
Plans After Graduation: I will be completing an ocular disease residency here in Michigan
at the Wyoming VA. I plan on staying in West Michigan post graduation and post residency!
MCO Memory: One of my best MCO memories are the annual Christmas cards my roommates
and I made for our classmates and professors. This was one of the many ways we made
MCO feel like a family!
Hometown: Grand Ledge, MI.
Plans After Graduation: My fiancé and I will be getting married this fall of 2023
and plan to settle down near where I will be begin working after graduation. I would
like to stay and practice in Michigan.
MCO Memory: Eye Ball my 1st year and getting to hear Dr. Pole rap for us and all the
“Eye Wishes” was definitely a highlight. Dr. Aslakson’s PowerPoint presentations with
all the cat memes I also greatly appreciated & enjoyed, especially during COVID as
we were all adjusting and adapting to online classes. The SVOSH mission trip I went
on to Dominica in August of 2022 was also a great experience with many great memories
made. I also have many wonderful memories with my classmates in labs, studying/practicing
together, having events such as Friendsgivings, movie nights and other get togethers
to take breaks from all the studying.
Hometown: Grand Rapids, MI
Plans After Graduation: Working with English and Spanish Speaking patients in Grand
Rapids, MI.
MCO Memory: The weekends!
Hometown: Woodland, MI.
Plans After Graduation: I am planning to practice full-scope optometry in Michigan,
with a particular emphasis on scleral contact lenses and glaucoma management.
MCO Memory: My favorite MCO memories are probably the study breaks the night before
tests at the school, when you never knew who you'd bump into and procrastinate with.
Everyone was stressed, but the small moments of levity on those evenings perfectly
illustrate why the people you meet in optometry school are some of the best you'll
ever meet.
Hometown: Hutchinson, MN
Plans After Graduation: I will be working as an associate at a private practice in
downtown Big Rapids
MCO Memory: Eating all the snacks that Dr. Rajaram and Dr. Schomaker would bring to
us every week in clinic.
Hometown: Cedar Springs, MI
Plans After Graduation: I am moving to the Upper Peninsula and joining a private practice
in Sault Ste. Marie, MI.
MCO Memory: Fourth year Medicare audit with Dr. Schad
Hometown: Bay City, MI.
Plans After Graduation: Ocular Disease Residency in Cleveland, OH
MCO Memory: MCO Broomball
Hometown: Port Huron, MI.
Plans After Graduation: I am planning to stay in Michigan and work at a private MD/OD
practice where I can practice medical optometry.
MCO Memory: My favorite MCO memory was playing in the Optic Cup every year after
exams were finished.
Hometown: Clinton Township, MI.
Plans After Graduation: Working at a private practice in Metro Detroit
MCO Memory: Bonding with my classmates while practicing for proficiencies!
Hometown: Dorr, MI.
Plans After Graduation: I plan to move to North Carolina to begin practicing
MCO Memory: My best MCO memory was laughing too hard during labs.
Hometown: Harris, Minnesota
Plans After Graduation: I will be completing a residency in ocular disease at Minnesota
Eye Consultants
MCO Memory: Dr. Pole rapping at Eyeball!
Hometown: Cadillac, MI.
Plans After Graduation: I have accepted a job offer in Savannah, GA
MCO Memory: MCO Eyeball 2019 and Joe Pole rap.
Hometown: Saginaw, MI
Plans After Graduation: Private Practice
MCO Memory: Tubing down the Muskegon River
Hometown: Ontario, Canada
Plans After Graduation: Start working with National Vision in Portage, MI in July
2023.
MCO Memory: Some of my favourite times have been when we get together to study; the
act of studying itself was never particularly enjoyable, but going through things
together made it fun and enjoyable (and more often than not helped me remember things
way better). When we weren’t studying, it was great to even just have a relaxing time
watching a movie or going to dinner.
Hometown: Iron Mountain, MI.
Plans After Graduation: Joining Advocate Aurora Health in Two Rivers, WI
MCO Memory: Making lifelong best friends and meeting my future husband!
Hometown: Niagara Falls, ON.
Plans After Graduation: Working in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
MCO Memory:
Hometown: Ethiopia
Plans After Graduation: Work to Possibly own private practice
MCO Memory: My friends