Optometry
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As president of the Philadelphia County Optometric Society (PCOS), Junean Marshall, OD ‘05, sparked an idea at an early-year board meeting: nominate one of the organization’s rising stars for the prestigious 2026 Young Optometrist of the Year Award, presented annually by the Pennsylvania Optometric Association (POA).
But Dr. Marshall’s colleagues at the PCOS had a better idea. They decided to nominate her for POA’s Optometrist of the Year for 2026. And, they were right. A few months later, Dr. Marshall received a congratulatory email from the state organization informing her of her recognition as top optometrist of the year, an email she had no idea was on its way.
“I was truly shocked, humbled, and honored to be selected,” said Dr. Marshall.
A native of Trinidad and Tobago, a dual-island Caribbean nation near Venezuela, Dr. Marshall’s interest in optometry began at a young age. She experienced severe eye issues that required frequent visits to the eye doctor.
When she eventually received her first pair of glasses, it showed her how much more clearly the world could look.
“I was also inspired by helping my grandmother with reading and daily tasks when her vision declined,” said Dr. Marshall, who earned a bachelor’s degree in pre-med in 2001 from Nova Southeastern University in Davie, Florida. “Those experiences sparked my passion for helping people improve their quality of life through better vision.”
That passion led her to the Pennsylvania College of Optometry (PCO), where she immediately felt at home and experienced a welcoming atmosphere, a strong clinical reputation, and generous scholarship support. It also allowed her to move to the Philadelphia area and experience snow for the first time.
“One of my favorite aspects of my time at PCO was the rigor of the academic program and how much it challenged us to think critically and creatively,” said Dr. Marshall. “The instructors consistently pushed us beyond memorization, encouraging a more comprehensive, ‘big picture’ approach — especially when taking patient histories and piecing together the full clinical story to arrive at the most accurate diagnosis.”
She added that just as important were the meaningful relationships she built during her time in Philadelphia and at PCO, lasting friendships with classmates and colleagues that have followed her through her professional journey. Those connections, she said, remain one of her most rewarding experiences at PCO.
Dr. Marshall has been a practicing optometrist for more than 20 years now, the past 13 of which has been as an associate optometrist at Sam’s Club. In addition to serving as president of the PCOS, Dr. Marshall also serves on the education committee of the POA, helping provide continuing education courses for optometrists across Pennsylvania.
Outside of optometry, she enjoys salsa and bachata dancing, creating educational eye care content for her YouTube channel, Blindspot Vision Care, community outreach projects, and most importantly, spending quality time “liming” with friends and family. (In Tobago, “liming” is the cultural art of hanging out with friends and family, socializing and relaxing in a casual, unhurried manner.)
“PCO’s strong clinical training and externship experiences gave me confidence early on,” said Dr. Marshall. “We were encouraged to be hands-on, knowledgeable, and patient-focused, which prepared me well for real-world practice. The additional exposure to patient care during externships was invaluable in helping me refine my clinical skills.”
