Eye care students and professionals partner to help children See to Succeed – Your Houston News: Living

Marina Ferman picks out her favorite frames during the See to Succeed event at San Jacinto College. Each year, the College hosts See to Succeed for area school children who have been prescreened at their schools and identified as needing eye care exams and eyeglasses. Photo credit: Jeannie Peng-Armao, San Jacinto College marketing, public relations, and government affairs department.

The Pasadena student was one of 1,139 students eligible to take a day trip to San Jacinto College in December for the Kid’s Vision for Life See to Succeed program, coordinated by the Houston Department of Health and Human Services (HDHHS), San Jacinto College, University of Houston (UH) College of Optometry, Essilor Vision Foundation, Wal-Mart, Berkeley Eye Center, and the Luxottica One Sight Foundation.

Out of the 58 schools that participated at San Jacinto College, more than 1,000 children were found to need eyeglasses, 225 children needed medical referrals, and five children needed 24-hour urgent referrals.

“The impact this program makes is huge,” said Debra Clarke, San Jacinto College eye care technology program director. “It’s a win-win situation because we are able to help children who otherwise wouldn’t have the resources to get eye care and glasses, and our college students are able to use what they’ve learned and apply it in a real eye care patient environment.”

San Jacinto College student Priscila Reyna realizes the broad impact she has the ability to make through the eye care technology program and See to Succeed.

“Dealing with patients through See to Succeed really helps me to understand how I can help others catch eye care health issues before they get worse,” said Reyna, who was inspired to pursue a career in the eye care field after receiving LASIK surgery. “I think this is the most rewarding part of this program – impacting people’s lives.”

According to the Kid’s Vision for Life See to Succeed program, one in four children have an uncorrected vision problem. Fifty percent of children who fail school eye screenings never see an eye doctor. Children who can’t read by third grade are more likely to drop out, earn 50 percent less annually as adults, and are more likely to be incarcerated.

Young Elementary principal Shirlyn Ross said she hears the positive feedback each year from her school teachers whose students have made vast improvements after receiving eyeglasses through See to Succeed.

Curated from Eye care students and professionals partner to help children See to Succeed – Your Houston News: Living