photos composite of all the thumbnail portraits of students featured in a student focus article

Student Focus

Monthly interviews where our students open up and share their insights, experiences and background as they purse their optometry school dreams.

Browse through our student experiences

Student Focus on Kayla Bartram

June 2026

Kayla PartramKayla Bartram is a New Jersey native and Rutgers University graduate pursuing her OD at Ohio State's College of Optometry. She chose Ohio State for its competitive tuition, strong NBEO passage rates, and small class community. She is president of the Low Vision Rehabilitation Club, vice president of The Prismatic Effect, and house manager of the Epsilon Psi Epsilon (EYE) optometry fraternity. Academically, a highlight of her time so far has been presenting research at the American Academy of Optometry Annual Meeting in Boston, and she is working toward defending her thesis on contrast sensitivity training through perceptual learning.

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Student Focus on Erica Samples

May 2026

Erica SamplesErica Samples, a first-year Ohio State optometry student from Lodi, Ohio, always seemed to have positive feelings toward optometry. In fact, she clearly remembers having a lot of fun choosing her first pair of glasses as a third-grader and being excited to show her dad her new frames. Then, as a junior in high school during a routine appointment with her optometrist, "everything clicked into place" and she knew optometry was the career for her. She chose Ohio State after visiting the campus and being impressed by its clinic, close-knit community, and dedicated faculty. Erica encourages future optometry students to stay committed and lean on their classmates and professors, trusting that hard work will pay off.

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Student Focus on Jason Kovatch

April 2026

Jason KovatchA native of Delaware, Ohio, third-year student Jason Kovatch chose Ohio State Optometry for its proximity to his family and friends, its impressive facilities, and what he describes as the best optometry program available. Outside of his studies, he plays trombone in the Professional School Orchestra and volunteers with NOSA, an organization that provides eye care to underserved communities. He credits his friends, family, and girlfriend as his biggest sources of support, and his advice to future students is simple: make friends, study hard, and never be afraid to ask for help.

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Student Focus on Gabi DuPont

March 2026

Gabi DuPontGabi DuPont, a second-year Ohio State Optometry student from Cornelius, NC, traces her passion for vision back to receiving her first pair of glasses at age five. She chose to study optometry at Ohio State for the program's academic excellence, supportive community, and the genuine enthusiasm she observed in its faculty during her interview. She is actively involved in student organizations, including IPC and AOSA, and has found both mentorship and friendship through her connections with fellow students. She is most looking forward to her third year in clinic, where she will begin applying her training to directly improve patients' vision and quality of life.

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Student Focus on Daniel Corley

February 2026

Daniel CorleyThird-year Ohio State Optometry student Daniel "Danny" Corley was confident that optometry was the career for him after shadowing the doctor who gave him his very first eye exam. When the time came to choose a school, Ohio State was the only one that checked all of his boxes. "The day I got into Ohio State was the day I canceled all of my other interviews," he says. So far, he has enjoyed the transition from didactic learning to patient care. "Ohio State does an excellent job of getting students involved with patients early on, and as you move through the program, you find yourself gaining more hands-on experience each semester."

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Student Focus on Kaylee Oberlies

January 2026

Kaylee OberliesKaylee Oberlies didn't always dream of becoming an optometrist. After spending six years as a beloved middle school science teacher known as "Miss O," her passion for eye care emerged through volunteer work at a low vision clinic for blind children, where she witnessed the life-changing impact optometrists can have. She chose Ohio State for its world-class education, supportive community, and the long-term professional advantages of joining the Buckeye network. Now thriving as a second-year optometry student, Kaylee serves as president-elect of Optometry Ambassadors and vice president of the Low Vision Rehabilitation Club and the Optometric Visual Development and Rehabilitation Association (OVDRA).

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