A Day in the Life follows two Illinois College of Optometry students on the journey from student to doctor. Chelsea Laden and Jeff Villena offer real, honest perspectives on optometry school and the city of Chicago. Follow along as they move in to ICO, make friends, study, explore, care for patients, and grow toward the ultimate goal: becoming doctors.
Day in the Life: Ep 1 - Why ICO
Day in the Life: Ep 2 - Move In Day
Day in the Life: Ep 3 - First Days
Meet Chelsea Laden
"My family is from Lakeville, Minnesota. I’m the second oldest of 5 kids. My all-time favorite hobby is fishing, but my Minnesota roots drove me to play the most 'Minnesotan' sport there is: ice hockey. I attended Lakeville South High School, then accepted a full-ride scholarship to play Division I ice hockey at Quinnipiac University. There, I lead my team to the NCAA national tournament, had the 2nd most shut outs in NCAA women's hockey history, and received two student athlete awards. Next, I spent a few years working for an optometrist and also playing in the inaugural season for the National Women's Hockey League. While at ICO, I hope to go on a mission trip. I aspire to own my own practice and grow my charity-based ophthalmic frame line, Twenty4K, LLC."
Meet Jeff Villena
"I was born and raised in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. I attended Piper High School, and went on to complete my undergraduate degree in Biological Sciences at Florida International University. I am into spoken word poetry, reading, writing, hip-hop culture, and all things related to South Florida sports. I love to cook and barbeque. Practically anything food-related makes me ecstatic. To combat this excess food intake, I picked up running a few years back and ran 3 half marathons.
Professionally, my future plans include specializing in pediatrics and vision therapy. Helping the world heal through optometry and, of course, food is what keeps me striving."
Two years after Chelsea and Jeff took you around, Tiffany joined to give you a taste of her day-to-day life at ICO. Make sure to check out her videos as she takes you around the city and around ICO.
Meet Tiffany Tsoi
"I grew up in Naperville, Illinois which is one of the many lovely suburbs of Chicago. I finished my undergraduate at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign with majors in Molecular Cell Biology and Behavioral Neuroscience.
I like to spend my time tinkering with mechanical keyboard parts. Adding onto that, I love to make things with my hands whether it be calligraphing a card or picking up a new art form. When I find the time, I stream video games I play on Twitch.tv. And you might catch me around museum campus longboarding when it's warm out.
My mission experience with OneSight has made me appreciate the optometric and ophthalmic field so much more. I can't wait to eventually become an OD to help others around me see and reach their potential!"
