Seventh graders Maria Pena, Lanea Autry and Regan Barrett from Leaman Junior High in the Lamar Independent School District giggled nervously as they waited their turn to be tested for eyeglasses in the Houston Health Foundation’s See to Succeed program. The girls agreed it was hard to see the board, hard to take notes and to do work in the classroom. “I failed the eye test at the nurse’s office, so I got to come,” Autry said. Any student identified by a school nurse or teacher is eligible.
Pat Segu,O.D. Clinical Associate Professor with the University of Houston College of Optometry and Clinical Director of See to Succeed shared that they are in the seventh year of this safety net program providing free eye exams and glasses to students. “We can bridge that gap for kids that never get to see an eye doctor. We can now see over 400 children per day, for 6 weeks totaling over 10,000 children per year. It takes all of us working together to make a difference for the kids in our community,” Segu said. Children from school districts all over the area participate.
