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Winter 2024
Alumni Ambassador Highlight: Stacy Hinkemeyer-Colatrella, OD ’96
WRITTEN BY:
Nora Matland
On the Alumni Council, “we all have a passion for ICO,” says Stacy Hinkemeyer-Colatrella, OD ’96 in a recent interview. An insight she can confidently share, having served as past president of the Alumni Council. “To be able to share that [passion] with others, to share something that I think is so valuable, is amazing. It’s so fun to brag about ICO. The wonderful institution that we have, the amazing professors, the patient base, the incredible education that I was able to receive, there’s a lot to be proud of.” As someone who has worked hard to recruit optometrists and represent ICO, she is this issue’s featured alumni ambassador.
How have you been involved in representing ICO and the field of optometry?
I’m deeply involved in recruiting the newest optometrists in Minnesota where I live and practice. I work with students at our private practice in central Minnesota, offering shadowing opportunities, and we regularly host ICO students for externships. It’s always fun when you have an ICO student. I’m just so proud of each and every one of them and the education that they’re receiving. They're so dedicated to the practice of optometry.
I also engage with high school and undergraduate students who are exploring healthcare careers, often through formal programs like HOSA-Future Health Professions. I talk with interested undergrad and high school students about optometry and how wonderful ICO is, as the closest optometry school to us. Getting them acquainted with the school and educating them about what goes into becoming an optometrist has become an important way for me to personally vouch for ICO and our profession. Sharing my enthusiasm for optometry with them, whether it’s through hands-on activities like eye dissection labs or introducing them to handheld slit lamps, has been one of the most gratifying aspects of my involvement.
Why is it important for you to continue your connection with ICO?
I have so many fond memories of my time at ICO. ICO is where I met my husband and my best friends. These are the people who we travel with and who have children the same age as ours. We get to share a life together. ICO also gave me the skills to build the career I always dreamt of, and it’s allowed me to live both a fulfilling and comfortable lifestyle. A piece of my heart belongs to ICO, and I’m forever grateful for all that they have given me. Giving others the gift of vision is an incredibly rewarding experience. I owe that sense of fulfillment entirely to ICO.
I came out of ICO with an incredible education and so much knowledge. At the end of the day, if you ask me what ICO means to me, even more than the education, it’s the relationships that I’ve been able to build. Those relationships have gotten me where I am today, and I’ll never forget that.
What knowledge do you hope to impart to those you mentor?
If nothing else, I hope that they see how much I love what I do, and I hope that they find their passion like I did. I think that makes all the difference in the world as a human being—earning an income, putting your life together, and just finding your why and living every day for that why. I found my passion, and it’s allowed me to have a rich, meaningful life as a professional, a mother, and a wife. I’m very blessed to be where I am.