“Defining Meaning through Service”
At Future Focus 2026, returning to the University of Waterloo on April 2, students will hear from Dr. Martina Sawatzky (UW ’19), who will deliver this year’s keynote presentation, “Defining Meaning through Service”.
The talk will explore how emerging optometrists can build personally fulfilling careers while contributing to their communities — both locally and globally.
Dr. Sawatzky graduated from the University of Waterloo School of Optometry in 2019 and now practices in her hometown of Winnipeg, Manitoba. She is passionate about building meaningful relationships with patients and tailoring care to each individual’s visual needs.
During her time as a student, Dr. Sawatzky participated in international optometric service trips to Honduras with I Care International and Peru with sVOSH UWaterloo, experiences that helped shape her perspective on the role of service in professional life.
She was also part of a team that organized a “Dining in the Dark” fundraising event supporting Optometry Giving Sight during the World Sight Day Challenge. Their efforts were recognized among the top three student fundraising groups that year.
Her keynote aligns closely with the theme of Future Focus 2026: Vision with Purpose: Building Meaningful Careers in Optometry.
Future Focus brings together UW optometry students and industry leaders for networking, career discussions, and professional insight.
The event is made possible through the support of Visionary Sponsors:
Eye Recommend, Specsavers Canada, FYidoctors, and OSI Group.
and Horizon Sponsors:
NIKON Lens Canada, CSI Dry Eye Innovation, and Clinical & Refractive Optometry Journal.
