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After graduating with a degree in biology from St. Francis College in Brooklyn, New York, Ali Abdelhalem ‘30OD went on a personal journey to see where he best fit in.
Turns out he’s discovered he fits in quite nicely at the Pennsylvania College of Optometry (PCO) on the Elkins Park campus of Drexel University.
Abdelhalem was among 63 students and 90 guests welcomed to Accepted Students Day, an opportunity to highlight the excellent faculty and state-of-the-art facilities across the graduate programs offered at the Elkins Park, Pennsylvania campus. Even Mario the Dragon, the University’s official mascot, utilized the equipment firsthand.
“I feel like optometry is the only profession I’ve seen that mixes both personability and professionalism to create a tangible change in people’s lives,” said Abdelhalem, who originally hails from New York City. “PCO emphasizes early clinical experience, and if my goal is to be the best professional I can be, that clinical experience is the most important thing I’m going to get here.”
He added it wasn’t just the academic advantages that attracted him, but also the people.
“This has been the best decision I’ve ever made. Everybody I've met has left me with a smile, which is really hard to say if you're from New York," said Abdelhalem.
That excitement was palpable for Gretta Rhodes ‘30OD as well. Originally from Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania, Rhodes graduated from St. Francis University in Loretto, Pennsylvania, and was accepted into the Doctor of Optometry - Traditional program at PCO.
“Everyone is very welcoming and positive here,” she said. “Everyone is excited about the program, so that makes me excited about it, too.”
Rhodes was joined on Accepted Students Day by her parents, Kelly and Jeff Rhodes. Her mom’s main concern was where her daughter was going to live, and there was plenty of information on housing at the resource fair part of the day.
“There was a lot of stress and nerves coming in,” said Kelly Rhodes. “We want to find a place where she will be comfortable.”
Jeff Rhodes, a teacher himself, was interested in checking out the quality and the faculty of the program. And, he found what he was seeking for his daughter.
“These are super-motivated educators, and I think it’s great for her to be around something like that,” said Jeff Rhodes. “A student needs to know what to expect to be successful. Here, she got an idea of what the culture is. They seem to be student-centered, but they’re also very serious. She’s not going to be messing around here.”
In addition to faculty panel discussions and the resource fair, the day included a financial aid presentation, a meet-your-classmates presentation, and tours of the Elkins Park campus as well as PCO’s clinical facility, The Eye Institute (TEI).
For Grace Lynch ‘28OT, of Morristown, New Jersey, the day was filled with the important information she was seeking. “I got here and did the financial aid seminar, met with the Occupational Therapy faculty, and I thought it all was really helpful and informative,” said Lynch, who completed her undergraduate studies at Ursinus College in Collegeville, Pennsylvania. “And, I’ve made a couple of friends, both in the OT program and some of the other programs.”
According to Monica Scirrotto, MS, director of Admissions on the Elkins Park campus, Accepted Students Day is designed for newly accepted students to get more comfortable with the situations they are about to enter.
“They’re excited, they are happy to be here, and their families are excited to see where they will be going to graduate school,” said Scirrotto. “It’s just a really fun day for everybody.”
