West Point Cadet Brings Poised, Succinct and Powerful Pediatric Belt Cane Presentation to Cogan Ophthalmological History Society
- Grace Ambrose-Zaken
- Apr 29
- 2 min read
Updated: Apr 29
There I sat in my garage converted office in front of my computer screen as I waited for West Point Cadet Mary Claire Schleck's presentation to begin. I was excited and curious - how would it go?
Cadet Schleck's delivery was poised, succinct and powerful. Every word was well placed and its meaning unmistakable. (click to watch)
Watching Mary, I was filled with profound gratitude. Mary is a sophomore at the United States Military Academy. She's a biology major and pre-med student. And in addition to all of those responsibilities, she worked for several months on this presentation for the Cogan Ophthalmological History Society and traveled to Aurora, Colorado to deliver it!
Cadet Schleck's typical day is not not just filled with her studies, but also everything that comes with soldiering. How on earth did she find the time to create a 15 minute talk out of an incredibly expansive topic; the history of white canes for children with a congenital mobility visual impairment or blindness?
I was incredibly moved to listen to her scholarship. In 15 minutes exactly, she explained the place Pediatric Belt Canes now hold in the history of white canes. It was like an out of body experience for me. This incredibly important story being told so artfully by such a gifted speaker to such a renown audience of ophthalmologists.
Imagine- the Pediatric Belt Cane was was just an idea ten short years ago. How fortunate we are to have so many incredibly talented people helping Safe Toddles on our journey to bring safety to blind walking.
My profound thanks to renown Pediatric Ophthalmologist Dr. Robert Enzenauer who has encouraged such talented West Pointers to learn, study and report on the Pediatric Belt Cane such as Mary Schleck and Dr. Paul Chong! And for his support and encouragement in the creation of this and many other important Pediatric Belt Cane presentations and publications.
This was a truly unforgettable experience for me personally. Right up there with Paul's Pediatric Belt Cane presentation at AAPOS 2024 in Austin!
To infinity and beyond!
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