Welcome to COOKIE magazine!

You may know us from PIE, you may know us from CAKE . . . and now, we are thrilled to present you with the latest “bun” from our editorial eye care oven: COOKIE, which stands for Cool Optometry, Optics, Kudos, Innovation and Enlightenment. 

As my latest brainchild (that’s me, Media MICE CEO Matt Young), COOKIE completes our “menu” of educational (and funky) publications devoted to eye care. And although we are Asia-Pacific-based, our coverage is global — which allows for information and knowledge sharing from the world’s top experts. 

We are, of course, also a bit more “funky” than your traditional eye care magazine or journal — let’s say, we’re the publication with “extra sprinkles.” Part of that is attracting the talent and expertise to take us to that next level of “cool.” So, when we met Dr. Kristie Nguyen, an optometrist from Florida, we knew we had met a key ingredient of COOKIE. As an advisory board member, Dr. Nguyen will help guide our stories, adding her own fresh insights, style and delicious ingredients. 

But rather than me rambling on . . . let’s hear from her. 

Thanks, Matt! I have to say that when I was approached to join the COOKIE Advisory Board, I was quite intrigued! Especially because the magazine was based in Asia-Pacific. This hit home, and I felt it would be a great opportunity to give a voice to optometry in other countries — especially my roots.

It’s also an opportunity for me to share what has become a lifelong passion for me: Returning sight to those who have lost it. This idea came to me during junior high while in church — there was a sermon on how God returned vision to the blind. This was my “a-ha” moment . . . this is something I could do: I could give people back their sight with eyeglasses or contact lenses. To me as an optometrist, there’s nothing better than helping someone else see. 

And although I’m based in the United States, I hope my experiences here will benefit others . . . and to see things from another perspective. Even in Florida, where I’ve practiced for 15 years, there are still so many people who don’t know what we, as optometrists, do. So, I’ve made it part of my mission to educate people through social media. I create “fun” posts to bring more awareness to our industry, this includes my #WednesdayWisdom posts on LinkedIn.

I also don’t believe that education about eye care should be limited to a region or location — everyone has eyes, and there are simple things we can do daily to improve our eye health. 

Not only that, but eye care should be accessible to all. (See our cover story on this topic in our called “The Disparities and Future of Eye Care in Asia-Pacific” on page 18.) Further, it’s my dream to visit these places and to do more mission trips internationally to help improve the life of those who need to see who can’t afford it otherwise. 

Working together, to continue spreading awareness, education and access, we can truly make a difference.