WesternU College of Optometry Commencement 2026: The power of kindness, empathy, and loving what you do
Western University of Health Sciences’ College of Optometry reached a milestone number of graduates and celebrated its newest class of healers who care deeply about the people they serve.
The College of Optometry conferred 68 Doctor of Optometry (OD) degrees at its Commencement ceremony May 19, 2026, in Pomona, California. The ceremony momentarily paused for the announcement that Lynette Dilanchyan, OD ’26, was the College’s 1,000 graduate. The College of Optometry’s inaugural class graduated in 2013.
College of Optometry graduate Shianne Brannan, OD ’26, was selected by her classmates to serve as their graduate speaker. She served as president of the OD Class of 2026, the Sports Vision Club, and the Gold Key Honor Society. She volunteered at vision screenings throughout California and served more than 700 patients during an international eye care mission in Fiji.
What makes this moment so special isn’t just the degree we’re earning—it’s the journey we shared, Brannan told her classmates. We celebrated the victories together and leaned on each other through the tough moments. Somewhere along the way, classmates became colleagues, and colleagues became lifelong friends.
“The world we’re entering needs us as health care providers who care deeply about the people they serve. And if there’s one thing I know about this class, it’s that we are ready,” Brannan said. “We are ready to advocate for our patients, to keep learning, to lead, and to make a difference in the communities we serve.”
WesternU held eight Commencement ceremonies in Pomona May 18-20, 2026, presided over by President Robin Farias-Eisner, MD, PhD, MBA, and featuring special messages from each Dean, Provost Paula Crone, DO ’92, and representatives from the WesternU Board of Trustees.
Education at its best does more than teach, it shapes who you are and who you are becoming, Crone said. At WesternU College of Optometry, you have gained not only knowledge and skill, but resilience, humility, and a deep sense of responsibility. Because your work is not just about what you know, it is about who you are when someone needs you most.
“So remember, at the end of every thought, every action, every deed, there is a patient. Your patient. A person who will look to you not only for answers, but for compassion, for dignity, and for hope,” Crone said. “In that moment, it will not be your title that defines you. It will be your humanity. That is your calling. That is your responsibility. And that is your extraordinary privilege.”
The Hon. Consuelo M. Callahan, LLM, JD, LHD (Hon.), chair of the WesternU Board of Trustees, spoke on behalf of the BOT.
“Today, you aren’t just graduating as optometrists. You are graduating as healers,” Callahan said. “From your first day here, you’ve lived by a simple idea: that being a great healer and being a compassionate human being are the same job. As you start your careers, let that be your compass. You are joining a legacy of over 24,000 WesternU alumni who are quite literally changing the way that health care works.”
WesternU graduates are like a prism transforming white light into a brilliant spectrum of colors, she said.
“For the last few years, you have been gathering the ‘white light’ of facts, optics, and clinical skills. But starting today, you are the prism,” Callahan said. “When you take that raw knowledge and pass it through the lens of your own empathy and respect, you transform it. You turn a diagnosis into a conversation. You turn a treatment plan into clarity and confidence. Every person whose life becomes clearer because of your care is a new chance to create a spectrum of care that brightens a whole community.”
College of Optometry Founding Dean Elizabeth Hoppe, OD, MPH, DrPH, told the graduates to enjoy the amazing journey ahead of them.
“As you enter the amazing profession of optometry, I urge you to embrace the values of humanism and empathy that lie at the heart of health care. Remember that behind every diagnosis, every treatment, and every chart is a human being in need of care, compassion, and understanding,” Hoppe said. “Whether you’re performing examinations, prescribing medication, or providing emotional support to patients and their families, never underestimate the power of kindness, empathy, and a listening ear.”
College of Optometry graduate Moses Estrella Alcantara Jr., OD ’26, said it feels incredible to finally reach his goals. He learned a lot about himself and tested his skills in helping people and creating community at WesternU.
“It’s a satisfying ending. I’m excited to see all my friends – essentially my family – celebrate each other and acknowledge the work we put in these four years and more,” Alcantara Jr. said. “I was able to cultivate community in my cohort and hopefully make an impact in my school. My friends here are my family. We have grown such a huge friend group of really smart, caring, passionate, fun and exciting people.”
Alcantara’s parents, Moses and Claudy Alcantara, eagerly awaited the start of the ceremony, when they would walk on stage and place the academic hood on his shoulders. Family hooding is a special tradition at WesternU where graduates select loved ones to share the stage together.
“We’re very proud. We love him and we’re glad he made this decision,” said Moses Alcantara, DDS, who is an orthodontist. Moses Jr. grew up working in his father’s dental office and is the first optometrist in the family.
“He likes working with people. He’s a people person and he’s persistent,” Alcantara said about his son. “He is someone who will really take care of his patients.”
College of Optometry graduate Anna Ter-Grigoryan, OD ’26, said she first became interested in optometry at age 11, when she received her first pair of glasses. She went from having to squint all the time to finally being able to see. Her goal is to enter private practice and, perhaps, eventually open her own practice. Ter-Grigoryan said it feels great to finally be done.
“I can’t wait to see where my career is going to take me,” she said. “I can’t wait to do what I love to do for the rest of my life.”
