Jessica Mazzurco
Attending Triton College was a natural choice for Jessica Mazzurco: it was close to her home in the northwest suburbs of Chicago, her sisters had attended, and she had heard positive things about the college.
“From the second I walked into registration, everybody was really friendly to me, and the whole process was really smooth,” she said.
Triton’s Ophthalmic Technician program was the right fit and one of the first accredited programs of its kind in Illinois, and Mazzurco knew from personal experience that eye care professionals make a meaningful difference in patients’ lives.
“I got my glasses in first grade,” said Mazzurco. “Ever since then, going to the eye doctor was something intriguing to me. I always thought it was something fascinating.”
At Triton, “I knew I would be getting the best knowledge and resources and education into something I really wanted to pursue,” she said.
Mazzurco worked off-campus selling glasses, learning how to listen to patients and gaining valuable background knowledge in the eye-care field.
On campus, Triton instructors were providing her with the tools to move forward in her career and succeed throughout the five-semester program.
“The first year, we focused on learning about the anatomy and physiology of the eye, and pharmacology and ocular disease,” said Mazzurco. “By listening and observing in the classroom and then being able to do it yourself in lab helped me learn quickly.”
Lab spaces were set up with the same “cool instruments and high technology” equipment Ophthalmic Technicians use on the job, and Mazzurco said she and her classmates practiced both common and emergency scenarios to be prepared for any situation.
Instructors shared their own related work experiences, and “went above and beyond for us,” said Mazzurco, by having flexible hours and answering student emails.
“They really make you feel like family,” added Mazzurco. “You’re not just another student.”
Campus departments, like Triton’s Center for Access and Accommodative Services (CAAS) and the Educational Technology Resource Center (ETRC) also provided supportive services and spaces for Mazzurco and her classmates.
There was fun, too, through Triton’s Office of Student Life. Mazzurco enjoyed Triton College traditions like the annual September Corn Roast.
“It was nice to take a break and interact with other students,” she said, describing the joy of walking through Triton’s campus mounds on a beautiful spring, summer or early autumn day.
Mazzurco’s off-campus experiences in clinical rotations were just as varied and exciting.
Triton instructors encouraged Mazzurco and her peers to participate in three diverse clinical settings. For Mazzurco, these were a teaching university, a private practice and a specialty retina clinic.
“You’re learning these things in class and how it can affect the patient’s life,” she said. “Then, you’re seeing them in the exam chair, hearing their symptoms and their chief complaint. It really puts everything together into perspective.”
The combination of classroom and clinical experiences meant that Mazzurco was ready for her Certified Ophthalmic Technician (COT) exam after graduation, which she passed on the first try.
“I would recommend getting certified, because it opens so many doors for you, not just financially, but you get to work at hospitals or larger clinics with a variety of specialties,” Mazzurco said, adding that some workplaces require certification.
Triton was still there for her – Mazzurco studied for her COT exam at the ETRC – and today, Mazzurco is there for her patients.
Each day brings excitement, using specialized tools to examine vision and working with other professionals during office-based surgeries.
Being an ophthalmic technician is “the perfect choice for me to give back,” said Mazzurco. “There are a lot of possibilities and opportunities in this field. It’s never ending.”