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RELEASED: July 1, 2004
DANVILLE, KY—May graduate Ann Tarter had her strong interest in optometry affirmed one day while she was on the job at a Centre-sponsored internship in Campbellsville, Ky.
A young girl visited the optometry office where Tarter was an intern. The girl was having a hard time in the classroom. When she put on glasses for the first time in her life that day, she was overjoyed. Poor eyesight had been the cause of her poor grades.
After witnessing this moving experience, Tarter wondered how many other children were hindered by limited eyesight, and she set out to help them achieve their potential.
Tarter, a biology major from Campbellsville, will be attending Southern College of Optometry in Memphis, Tenn., in the fall. Internships she completed in Campbellsville and Danville were key in deciding her future path.
She also credits Centre professors and the College's pre-med faculty for their help in talking to her about the field, advising her during the graduate school application process and helping her get into a good optometry school.
"When I first arrived at Centre I was assisted greatly by Steve Asmus [Dowling Associate Professor of Biology], the pre-optometry advisor. He was extremely helpful in organizing my schedule to fulfill the requirements for optometry school, my major and for a semester abroad (in Strasbourg, France in the fall of 2001).
"When the time came for me to complete applications for graduate school, Joe Workman [Associate Professor of Chemistry], the pre-med advisor, served as a key resource in preparation for my interviews. My professors were genuinely concerned with my progress—not only in their classes, but also with my future plans. I relied greatly on their advice and support."
Tarter says Centre's challenging curriculum and supportive faculty gave her the tools to succeed.
"The faculty are not only knowledgeable in their respective subject areas, they're also experts in countless tangential subjects. I've truly realized the value of a liberal arts education."
Tarter was accepted to all four of the optometry schools to which she applied.
"It was great that I was able to choose where I wanted to go," she says.
While at Centre, Tarter was the captain of the Colonels' women's swim team and a member of Delta Delta Delta sorority.
Tarter plans to open a private practice upon graduation from Southern.
Other members of Tarter's class interested in the healing profession were equally successful. One-hundred percent of the members of the Class of 2004 who applied to medical school were accepted (http://www.centre.edu/web/news/2004/medschool04.html).
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Founded in 1819, Centre College is ranked among the U.S. News top-50 national liberal arts colleges. Centre alumni, known for their nation-leading loyalty in annual financial support, include two U.S. vice presidents and two Supreme Court justices. For more, visit http://www.centre.edu/web/elevatorspeech/
For news archives go to http://www.centre.edu/web/news/newsarchive.html.
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