All Eyes on Opticianry Department at Vision Expo East 2024

May 14, 2024

Franklin Cummings Tech Opticianry student Devyn Shea was the winner of the nationwide NFOS College Bowl academic competition sponsored by Essilor/Luxottica. There were 13 schools competing for the title, with Franklin Cummings Tech repeating as national champion for the second year in a row.

The College Bowl is part of Vision Expo East, an annual event for ophthalmic professionals focusing on eyewear, education, and fashion, that was held in March at the Javits Center in New York City.

Opticianry Chair Blair Wong hosted a featured session at the conference where he held a discussion with author Rebecca Alexander about the challenges she has faced since receiving a devastating diagnosis as an adolescent that would completely lose her vision. Born with a rare genetic disorder called Usher syndrome (type 3), Rebecca was told that by age 30, she’d be completely blind. She then suffered a second-story fall that took away her hearing as well. Prof. Wong, who lost his own vision to the degenerative eye disease retinitis pigmentosa , discussed with Rebecca her accomplishments, challenges and the encouragement and inspiration that Rebecca gives to others who are facing their own challenges.