WINTER 2025
TALKNG HEADS
What inspires so many ICO graduates to build family practices after graduation, and why do generations continually choose ICO as their academic institution?
In this issue of ICO Matters, we celebrate ICO legacy families, multi–generational alumni who have inspired their relatives to follow in their footsteps. These stories highlight our shared passion for patient care and community service.
Optometry needs high–caliber young people to carry on these traditions. While we are aware of many wonderful ICO legacy families, space allows us to feature only a few in this issue.
If you would like to share your family’s ICO legacy, join us on our new alumni platform at alumni.ico.edu. The ICO Alumni Council created this community for alumni to connect with each other and share their stories; I hope you’ll enjoy reading about the legacy families featured here and I look forward to hearing from many more of you soon.
Thank you for your continued support of ICO and our mission to educate the next generation of optometrists and provide patient care on Chicago’s South Side. If you have not yet made your 2025 contribution, there is still time to do so and qualify for an income tax deduction.
On behalf of everyone at ICO, I send warm wishes and season’s greetings to you and your family.
Don Crouch, OD ’63, FAAO, DOS
Former Chairman of
ICO Board of Trustees, 2013
My two sons, Kevin Crouch, OD ’94, and Craig Crouch, OD ’90, and my grandson, Dayne Crouch, OD ’25, are all optometrists. Each has worked in our office performing procedures, working up patients, repairing glasses and assisting with frame selection.
The optometrists in my family grew up understanding the ins and outs of the profession and what it takes to develop and maintain a practice, from hiring and training to managing finances. They saw firsthand how optometry improves the quality of life for so many patients.
As an optometrist, you are viewed as a medical provider in your community. You build lifelong relationships with patients, their children and even their grandchildren. It is a deeply satisfying experience and one reason I believe so many families choose to continue in this profession.
I chose ICO because Chicago was close to home, and my childhood optometrist was an ICO graduate. I visited several offices run by ICO alumni and saw how well the college prepared its students to pass the National Board exams and earn their licenses.
A few years after graduation, I began volunteering with the Alumni Council and later joined the Board of Trustees. I have promoted both the optometric profession and ICO to many of my patients and friends. My family has seen firsthand the quality of ICO’s education, leadership and facilities. The college continually improves its academics, faculty and administration to fulfill its mission: to develop highly qualified clinical optometrists through excellence in optometric education who will strive to ensure that all receive optimal health care.
With more than 8,000 alumni, ICO students have a wealth of connections and opportunities. The Illinois Eye Institute sees more than 82,000 patient visits per year, giving students the chance to develop patient care skills from their first year onward. The Dr. Robert and Lena Lewenson Center for Pediatric and Binocular Vision, Alfred and Sarah Rosenbloom Center for Vision and Aging, contact lens, and research clinics are constantly updated to provide a well–rounded education.
The goal is always to provide quality education so students can successfully pass the National Board exams.
When I asked my grandson why he chose ICO, he said:
“During my visits to ICO, I was exposed to the world–class education and welcoming sense of community that ICO provides, making my decision a no–brainer. I was motivated to provide high–level eye care for the community, and I knew ICO would equip me with the knowledge and skills to do so.”
For our family, ICO checked all the boxes.
Laura Giancola, OD ’90
Owner, Naper Grove Vision Care
It has been a privilege to serve my community for the past 36 years as an eyecare professional and to be able to practice alongside my son (Connor Robbs, OD ’22) has been priceless. What a gift. In 1990 I bought into a partnership from three well established ICO graduates (Floyd Mizener, OD ’49; Ted Depukat, OD ’60; and John Sims, OD ’64). They were wonderful mentors to me years before I entered ICO as I worked at their practice prior to entering optometry school. It was a given that I would attend ICO. We were all very proud to be ICO Alumni! Through the years I have hired many ICO students as they worked their way through school. Today, seven of our nine practicing ODs at Naper Grove Vision Care are ICO alumni.
My son’s journey into optometry began at 15 years of age when he started working at my practice. He was exposed to many aspects of optometry and was certain of his career choice when he entered college. Undoubtedly he was very fortunate to have this exposure from a very young age. Going forward it was up to him to see how far he would take it. He received acceptance letters from many schools but in the end he decided that ICO was the best choice. What a great choice it ended up being!
Upon entering ICO no one could have predicted what an impact my son would eventually have on both the school and our profession. He was fortunate enough to receive some of the finest education and leadership from some of the same professors that taught and influenced me as well. ICO solidified the foundation that he already had and helped him to grow both academically and personally. The professors, the administration, the security team and others were all instrumental in helping both of us along our journey at ICO. Currently Connor is the founder of ICO’s Future Optometric Doctors Program, a pioneering high school initiative that has introduced more than 600 students to our profession. In recognition of his mentorship and impact on optometric education he was named ICO’s 2024 Young Alumnus of the Year. He also serves on ICO’s Alumni Council.
As a parent, I don’t think you can force a career choice. Sometimes when you let things unfold organically our children will exceed our expectations. I will forever be grateful that I have been able to share this great profession with my son.
Bill Park, OD ’77
Owner, Park Family Eye Care
My motivation to build a family optometry practice stems from my upbringing. After World War II, my parents owned a Chinese American restaurant, where they raised nine children. Working together in the restaurant taught us the value of hard work, family closeness and the dedication needed to achieve success. Inspired by their entrepreneurial spirit, I aspired to become self–employed.
When I established my practice, I chose a town near my birthplace. At the time, the community had about 2,000 residents and no optometrists. Nearly five decades later, the town has grown to more than 20,000 residents, and our practice remains the only optometry office in the area.
My two children, Lena Park, OD ’06, and Quentin Park, OD ’04, were involved in the practice from a young age, answering phones, filing and helping with office duties. Growing up with optometry as part of their daily lives, they eventually chose the same profession. My wife, Margaret, also worked in the office while our children were in college and optometry school.
ICO was our institution of choice because it provided us with the highest level of academic and clinical training. The clinic’s location in a densely populated city exposed us to a wide variety of complex cases and eye pathologies, strengthening our expertise.
We often welcome pre–optometry students to shadow and learn in our office, sharing our experiences with aspiring professionals. Our practice stands out for its strong emphasis on medical eye care. We have built an extensive referral network with other medical specialists, allowing us to provide comprehensive care for our patients.
Preventive care is central to our mission. We diagnose and treat a wide range of conditions, including myopia, glaucoma, and dry eye disease. Our commitment to quality care, along with our ongoing connection to ICO, has helped our family practice grow and thrive across generations.