The quality of our students is such that they are typically enjoyable to teach, engage well with their classmates, and actually represent an unusually high number of leaders, often including national leadership positions in the American Optometric Student Association (AOSA), and the National Optometric Student Association (NOSA). One such exceptional leader is Devin Sasser (’15) who, in January, was elected to optometry's highest student leadership position in the United States, President of the American Student Optometric Association.
Devin is, in fact, well qualified to lead the more than 6,400 students attending the 23 schools and colleges of optometry throughout the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. Having served most recently as a member of the AOSA Board of Trustees, he also served in the highest leadership position at his undergraduate institution, Xavier University in Louisiana, as Student Government President. He has been active in many capacities for the AOSA including a very active role at the AOA congressional advocacy conference in Washington DC last Fall where he lobbied on behalf of student loan relief for optometrists who practice in areas devoid of health-care services. And he is excited to serve at the highest level. "Being selected to serve as President of the American Optometric Student Association is an honor that I do not take lightly. As a member of the Executive Council, I hope to convey my unyielding dedication to both the students and the profession. The various roles in which I have served leading up to this moment have fueled my enthusiasm to do my part in aiding the future of the optometric profession. Although the official goals and initiatives for this administration are forthcoming, focus will be placed largely on raising general awareness about the AOSA. Additionally, this administration hopes to implement plans to increase the number of students who transition into the American Optometric Association upon graduation."
It is important to note that Devin’s ascension to President of AOSA is a result of not only the many – and increasing –number of future leaders (and, in fact, the College has initiated a leadership course for interested students) but also via the efforts of Dr. Ray Myers, Clinical Professor, who was actually the founder of AOSA. The highest student award at Optometry's meeting every year, is presented in the name of Dr. Ray Myers. He has encouraged numerous students to pursue national leadership and has also initiated an annual award for excellence in leadership by an UMSL College of Optometry student. And he is proud of the College’s recent track record for leaders in the AOSA as he relates: “Most will remember that Devin is the fourth national AOSA officer in the past five years. Drs. Jen Sidun(Vincent) became the first President from UMSL in 2012-13; Dr. Alan Wegener preceded her as Vice-President; and Drs. Remi Miljavic (Gromlich) became the first officer in this legacy, and Vice President. While running for election AOSA Trustees Drs. Jennifer Redfern and Whitney Jensen were instrumental in establishing the tradition of expecting AOSA Trustee-Elect candidates to express their "national ambitions" to their classmates in their first year. Dr. Brett Sobieralski, a plausible candidate the year before Dr. Miljavac, provided Dean Davis and myself with the impetus to present the faculty with some alternatives to make student leadership roles feasible during the externship years.”
Dean Larry Davis concurs that Devin was a well qualified choice for this position. “Devin is the latest national leader to be selected from a tradition of talented and engaged group of UMSL students. We are very proud of Devin. We know that Devin brings the requisite dedication, insight and leadership skill to be an excellent AOSA President and I'm pleased that his student colleagues throughout North America have given him the opportunity to serve.”
The person best qualified to comment on Devin Sasser’s qualifications to hold the highest student leadership position in the country is newly elected UMSL AOSA Trustee, Nicole Ethridge (’16). “Devin is a personable, passionate, and exemplary leader who will represent our school and the AOSA with dedication and zeal. I am excited to see what novel ideas and developments he implements into the organization and feel lucky to have the future of my profession in the hands of such a capable individual. I think Devin's accomplishments, along with the leadership on the executive counsel of the Board of Trustees displayed by four of the five past Trustees, speaks to the strength of UMSL's dedicated and active student body.”