Transitions Optical, Inc. and the Opticians Association of Canada (OAC) have announced the winners of the 2016 Students of Vision Scholarship program.

Melanie Chin, a second year optometry student at the University of Waterloo, will be awarded a grand prize scholarship of $2,500; Gabriella Courey, a second year optometry student at the Université de Montréal, will be awarded a scholarship of $1,500; and Laura Arrabi, a first year opticianry student at NAIT, will be awarded a scholarship of $500.

This fall, applicants were asked to develop a project in the form of an essay, presentation or video sharing how they will educate patients and research the best optical lens solutions to protect against harmful blue light and UV. Submissions were reviewed by a panel of judges and evaluated based on their demonstration of creativity, strategic thinking and ethics. While many applicants displayed creativity and forward-thinking, Chin rose above the others with a comprehensive multimedia plan for blue light education. Additionally, Courey proposed in an essay several tactics of exceptional quality and Arrabi shared a notable overview for blue light awareness.

“The Sun Protection Challenge confirmed what we already knew – that there are many knowledgeable and gifted students in Canada who are very committed to protecting their patients’ eyes,” said Patience Cook, director, North America Marketing, Transitions Optical. “Above them all, Chin, Courey and Arrabi presented us with projects that demonstrated innovative and strategic approaches to educating their future patients about harmful blue light protection.”