Snowvision’s 2021 SUNY scholars

Jasmine Feng – optometrist

Therapeutically qualified optometrist Jasmine Feng specialises in dry eye, contact lenses, myopia control and paediatrics. Thrilled to be offered the scholarship, Feng said she is very grateful for the opportunity. “I know SUNY is renowned for its large variety of specialities and I’m particularly excited to get into paediatrics as I see a fair share of kids in Palmerston North. I’m also interested in vision rehabilitation as it is not extensively taught in New Zealand, but there is demand for it, and what better way to do that than to observe and work with renowned experts from SUNY?”

Feng said, when she returns, she hopes the overseas knowledge and a fresh perspective on optometry will help her offer patients a wider variety of services and the best care possible. “I’m looking forward to being able to bring back some valuable skills and experience to my practice. I’m also excited to be able to visit the States for the first time. I would love to catch New York in the fall.”

Depending on Covid restrictions, both scholarship winners hope to be able to travel to SUNY within in the next two years.

The Snowvision SUNY scholarships

Since 1997, the trustees of the Snowvision Charitable Trust have announced annual scholarships for a recent graduate and an optometrist from New Zealand to attend SUNY, New York, for a period of four weeks to improve their clinical optometry skills. The scholarship is for a maximum of $7,000 and covers travel from Auckland to New York as well as SUNY tuition fees. The scholarship fund is supported by Snowvision’s biannual Queenstown conference, the next one being in 2023.