The Ohio State University College of Optometry first offered me a place to learn my “trade.” As time advanced, the people within the College provided me with a model for success. As a consequence of what I learned both in the classroom and in the professional environment, I am able to give back to the field of optometry. I help shape the future of our profession by teaching optometry students how to examine children and fit specialty contact lenses. Through research, I provide answers to clinical questions that are asked daily in practice, such as “Can children wear contact lenses?” and “How can I slow the progression of myopia?” I also play a small role in deciding the future of optometry by serving on the Boards of the Contact Lens and Cornea Section of the American Optometric Association, Prevent Blindness Ohio, and the American Academy of Optometry. I learned so much more than a trade at The Ohio State University College of Optometry. I learned to lead, and I hope to lead by example to make The Ohio State University College of Optometry graduates the gatekeepers for eye care and innovators in vision science. O-H…