2025 Eye Ball – Opticianry Program Celebration

May 28, 2025

The Opticianry Department and the Opticianry Association of Massachusetts (OAM) jointly hosted the 2025 Eye Ball at Franklin Cummings Tech, a fun-filled annual celebration of the Opticianry program and opticianry as a profession that brings together the Franklin Cummings Tech community, OAM members, corporate partners, industry leaders, and of course the many students and alumni of the Opticianry associate degree program.

“We have so many students who come here never having been told that they could be a student,” said Blair Wong, chair of the Opticianry department. “But they come here and they succeed.”

GoodVision USA chief executive Matt Gianino (pictured above, right) served as the keynote speaker at this year’s Eye Ball. The nonprofit organization, founded by Opticianry program alum Jennifer Hyde (Class of 2017, pictured above, center), enables local production of quality eyeglasses using a simple bending machine that requires no electricity or water, while simultaneously creating meaningful employment opportunities in underserved communities. Founded in 2019, GoodVision USA is closing in the amazing goal of providing its one millionth pair of glasses to someone in need.

“Technical skills, combined with vision and purpose, can lead to not just a career, but can be a catalyst for global change,” Gainino said. “I can’t wait to see how you change the way the world sees.”

“When I came to this country from El Salvador, I often felt invisible,” said the Eye Ball’s alumni speaker Anghelo Guevara, Opticianry Class of 2015. “Now I’m proud to be a licensed optician and part of this great community, working in this field I love so much. Being an optician isn’t just about glasses or contact lenses; it’s about helping people see.”

The event’s student speaker, Aaron Morgado-Costa, Class of 2025, said he was recruited to apply to Franklin Cummings Tech by Opticianry program alum Naomi Shuman, Class of 2024. “This program was amazing,” Morgado-Costa said. “It was difficult because most of us are full-time workers in addition to being students. But we were supported by an amazing faculty and staff.”

The Philip C. Meuse Award for Courage & Dedication went to 2025 graduates Shemika Ball (pictured below) and Felix Rivera, who was unable to attend the Eye Ball.