Summer 2025 - Commencement

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Summer 2025

Commencement 2025

WRITTEN BY:

Nora Matland

There is no doubt that commencement is one of ICO's most impactful events, and this year’s 182nd ceremony, held at the Chicago Symphony Center on May 17th, was no exception. Degrees were conferred, alumni welcomed new graduates, and after nearly 40 years in higher education, John Baker, OD, M.S.Ed delivered his first graduation speech. Quoting everyone from Dolly Parton to Benjamin Franklin, he served as a memorable bookend to our students' Chicago experience, being the very first and last professor to speak to them as ICO students.

We of course want to celebrate each and every one of our graduates’ accomplishments, but ultimately, this day belongs to them. So, in this issue, we’re stepping back to leave space for them to share their own stories. We’ve dedicated the remainder of these pages to Karli Clark, OD ’24 and Samantha Dodda, OD ’20. Their perspectives will be much more impactful than what we can say in a few sentences. We leave the rest to them.

From Flag Bearer to Graduate:
My Journey to the Graduation Stage

By: Karli Clark, OD ’25

It was 2022 when I first entered the Chicago Symphony Center and donned a black graduation robe. A mixture of excitement and nerves accompanied this simple garment, and as I rehearsed my official role repeatedly in my mind, my similarly dressed professors kept telling me one thing: “In three more years, this will be your graduation.”

That was the first time that I participated in an ICO Commencement. I had just finished my first year and was selected for the role of Student Association President-Elect, and with this came the request to serve as a flag bearer. I was oblivious then to the magnitude of which this role would quickly grow to mean to me, but when I took part in the commencement ceremony for the Class of 2022, it struck me just how proud I felt to take part in this time-honored tradition.
The pride I felt that day doubled the next year when, at the conclusion of my second year, I served again as a flag bearer for the Class of 2023. I put on that black gown, prepared to walk the flag down the aisle of the Symphony Center for a second time, and was told something slightly different this time: "In two more years, this will be your graduation.” It seemed like an exciting thought, but knowing that I had three board exams and a whole lot of learning ahead of me, two years still felt like forever to go.

Fast forward yet another year, and it was now time to graduate the Class of 2024. Having just finished my term as Student Association President, I was humbled to serve yet again as a flag bearer for the third year in a row. However, this ceremony felt different. Not only was it emotional for me to watch my tutors, TAs, and mentors move on to begin their careers, but also a single thought echoed in my mind throughout the event, something that the professors kept reminding me once more: “Next year, this will be you.”

And this year, it is me. It is my classmates: these resilient, intelligent, compassionate colleagues of mine who comprise the Class of 2025. From day one of optometry school, we longed for the day that we would cross the stage in that black cap and gown and leave with two extra letters after our names. This milestone is a testament to the diligence, sacrifice, and passion that we have devoted to ICO, and now that it’s arrived, I’m simply overwhelmed with gratitude for the opportunity to graduate from this esteemed institution.

Each May for the past three years, it has consistently been one of my greatest honors to participate in this monumental occasion. Now, for this fourth consecutive year, I will walk into the Symphony Center yet again, but this time it is finally my turn to walk across the stage that I’ve seen so many before me proudly cross to begin their career in the greatest profession.

And let me tell you: it feels like it’s been a long time coming.

A COVID Graduate's Full-Circle Moment

By: Samantha Dodda, OD ’20

Dr. Dodda takes part in Commencement 2025 as a Marshal.

L-R: Nikita Dodda, JD (Dr. Samantha Dodda’s sister); Dr. Samantha Dodda; and Geetha Dodda, MD (Dr. Dodda’s mother).

Five years ago, due to the unprecedented COVID pandemic, the Class of 2020’s graduation was held exclusively online. As a member of that class, this was extremely difficult. The world had shut down, and after four years of hard work and graduating with a doctorate, I could not celebrate it with those who had gotten me through so many challenges. Though my family made the disappointment easier by doing what they could to laud my achievements at home, I mourned the loss.

I left ICO without a real sense of closure. I never got the chance to say goodbye to my colleagues, who are now spread all over the globe practicing optometry in various disciplines. We never had the proper celebration—no pomp, no circumstance. The sense of community that is so deeply embedded into the ICO culture had dimmed because of the pandemic.

When I returned to academia, three years had passed. One of the highlights of being faculty at ICO is the opportunity to participate in graduation. It was a major perk of the job in my eyes, most likely stemming from the missed opportunity of my own graduation.

Last year, I was unable to attend commencement. (I was attending my sister’s law school graduation instead.) Cheering her on proudly, I felt a twinge of sadness for the celebration I never had.

This year, I was honored to serve as a marshal at commencement. Finally, I too got to wear graduation regalia and be part of ICO’s proudest tradition. I was beaming. As I picked up my cap and gown, I noted to our graduation team that my parents would get a kick out of seeing me in regalia and could they (maybe) give me one or two tickets for my parents to attend. ICO made it happen.

Debra Albers and Erik Mothersbaugh, OD ’12, reached out and my family was invited to witness what they had missed many years ago—my chance to participate in graduation. I think it says something about an institution that supports and encourages us to celebrate ourselves and our accomplishments, no matter how delayed. I am thankful to be part of an institution that has welcomed me back, allowed me to take part in graduation from a faculty standpoint, and gifted my family (and myself) the opportunity of a lifetime.