On March 26th, more than 220 optometry students came together for the 2025 NextGEN Future Focus event, held in person at the University of Waterloo School of Optometry (UW) and the New England College of Optometry (NECO).
With additional participants joining online from several U.S. optometry schools, the event became a dynamic hybrid experience, uniting Canadian optometry students across campuses—and across borders—for an evening of connection, insight, and inspiration.
The live panel discussion, hosted at UW and simulcast to audiences at NECO and across Zoom, was co-moderated by Dr. Andre Stanberry (UW) and student moderator Maryam Safdar (OD Candidate, UW 2027).
The panel featured a diverse lineup of experienced optometric professionals from leading organizations, including:
- Dr. Mary-Kate Alliston
- Dr. Karine Briand
- Dr. Howard Dolman
- Dr. Laurie Lesser
Together, they offered honest insights into professional life after graduation, shared career lessons, and answered student questions from UW, NECO, and Zoom attendees in real-time.
Following the panel, students heard from Dr. Jenny Lee, who joined live from NECO. Dr. Lee, a UW 2023 graduate and the first NextGEN OD Ambassador to host the inaugural Future Focus event in 2023, brought her journey full circle as this year’s featured keynote speaker.
Her reflections on the emotional and professional phases of optometry school—Excitement, Doubt, Growth, and Accomplishments—resonated with attendees.
Throughout the evening, students connected with key leaders and potential employers and suppliers. The events were made possible through the generous support of our sponsors, including Visionary Sponsors, FYidoctors, OSI Group, Eye Recommend, and Specsavers, and Horizon Sponsors, Vogue Optical and Bausch + Lomb Canada, ROI Corporation and Clinical & Refractive Optometry Journal.
The night wrapped with a prize draw, with over $2,000 in prizes awarded to lucky participants across all venues.
Couldn’t attend live? Don’t worry—there’s more.
A Western Rewind on April 3 at 9 PM EDT,(6 PM Pacific) will recap the panel and keynote, plus add live interactive sessions and even more prizes!
➡️ Click here to register for the Western Rewind Zoom session.
More related content:
https://www.neco.edu/news/nextgen-canada-conference/
Lee Raffey, CEO of Eye Recommend, shared, “We’re proud to sponsor a podcast focused on the development and success of future optometrists. Eye Recommend is dedicated to the growth of independent optometry, and this podcast is an excellent opportunity to invest in the next generation.”