A success story has come full circle in Alabama's Wiregrass region.
Long before Julie Strickland became a doctor of optometry, an Army STEM outreach program introduced the Enterprise, Alabama, native to opportunities in science and, eventually, the field that would become her career.
Strickland first participated in the U.S. Army Aeromedical Research Laboratory's Gains in the Education of Mathematics and Science, or GEMS, program at Fort Rucker in 2011. A fifth grader at the time, she was part of the program's inaugural class.
What began as a summer exploration of science grew into a lasting interest in STEM and eventually helped lead Strickland to the UAB School of Optometry. She earned her Doctor of Optometry degree from UAB and recently returned to Enterprise, where she practices at Eye Care Associates.
"GEMS is more than just a STEM program. It builds confidence, creates lasting relationships and opens doors to educational and career opportunities," Strickland said. "I'm grateful for everything it has given me and appreciate the opportunity to give back to the next generation."
Finding her path through vision science
The GEMS program introduces students in fourth through 11th grades to STEM through hands-on experiments and interaction with military and civilian researchers, medical professionals and other subject matter experts.
Strickland's involvement did not end with her time as a student. Before her senior year of high school, she returned to GEMS as a near-peer mentor and continued in that role for five summers from 2017 to 2022. She taught modules covering subjects including forensics, neuroscience, nanotechnology, simple machines and biochemistry.
Her work with the neuroscience module, which included a day focused on vision, proved particularly influential. Through interactions with USAARL vision scientists and researchers, Strickland began considering a career related to vision.
"GEMS exposed me to a wide range of STEM careers, but the biggest impact came while I was mentoring the Neuroscience module," Strickland said. "That experience sparked my interest in vision science. After shadowing several optometrists, I realized optometry was exactly what I was looking for."
From Enterprise to UAB and back home
After graduating from Enterprise High School in 2018, Strickland attended Enterprise State Community College, where she earned an Associate of Science degree.
She then transferred to UAB, earning a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry with a minor in philosophy before enrolling in the UAB School of Optometry. After earning her Doctor of Optometry degree, Strickland returned to Enterprise to begin her career as an optometrist.
Her return to the Wiregrass region has also brought her GEMS experience full circle. Strickland has returned to the program as a guest speaker, sharing her career path with students who are now where she was more than a decade ago.
"Julie's journey is the exact realization of our program's mission," said Lori St. Onge, USAARL STEM Outreach Program coordinator. "Seeing her go from a curious fifth-grader in our inaugural GEMS class to a practicing Doctor of Optometry returning to lecture our students is incredibly rewarding. She is the ultimate proof that investing in local STEM outreach cultivates the brilliant professionals who will support our warfighters and communities in the future."
For Strickland, returning to GEMS offers an opportunity to give back to a program that helped her discover what was possible and to show another generation of students where an early interest in science can lead.