Cheers to 15 Years!

By Rose Hoang

August 3, 2026

What a momentous occasion we are celebrating this year - See the Lord’s 15th year anniversary since its founding in 2011! 

It has been an honor to witness what STL has accomplished over the years: since our first mission trip to Taiwan in 2012, we have seen close to 10,000 patients and provided over 5,000 pairs of customized, prescription glasses to patients free of charge (not to mention we have also provided many free over-the-counter readers and sunglasses as well). This is such a great accomplishment that cannot have been achieved without the help of our volunteers, as well as our dedicated financial and prayerful supporters.

What initially struck me about this organization was that it was 100% volunteer-based and continues to be. From mission trip volunteers to members of our leadership team, none of us are paid to help with See the Lord, but we do this because we believe in the mission of bringing God’s love to others through healthcare, catechesis, and education. Over the years, STL has stayed true to our founder’s vision: to act as a platform to unite the needs of the underprivileged and the different talents to serve them. As volunteers, we have come together, with our backgrounds of various skill sets, education, talents, interests and passions, to strive to make the world a better place. And I believe it takes a genuine desire to serve and care for others to keep a completely volunteer-based organization alive.

I remember my very first mission trip with STL to Taiwan in 2013 - I was an undergraduate student who had just decided to pursue optometry as a career. Aside from my own experience seeing my local eye doctor, I didn’t know what to expect on this mission trip. The uncertainty was intensified by the fact that I was travelling internationally to a country in which I did not speak its language. But what brought me comfort was that this organization was rooted in two things that were important to me, optometry and Catholicism, and that my encounters with Dr. Kelly KaoLee on this trip showed me that the founder of this organization really had a big heart for others. 

Over the years, I have been involved in various positions within the organization, and it has really been a privilege to work alongside so many talented individuals. Each member of our leadership team uses their skills and talents to grow a specific area within STL, from mission trip operations to catechesis, from media content to public health. Since serving as President from May 2025 until now, I have also strived to use my eye for efficiency to streamline mission trip logistics and communication within and outside of our organization. 

Another aspect of our organization that I have found incredibly valuable when I was a student was our focus also on mentorship. Since being a part of See the Lord during my undergraduate years and throughout optometry school, the doctors I have met during mission trips have provided clinical tips and career advice even after the trip itself, and this is something I am glad our organization continues to do as another way to give back to the community. We have been hosting optometry career panels to pre-health and optometry students to share about different aspects of the profession, how they can get involved with STL, and we have offered to connect with them individually to answer questions they may have regarding the field.

It has been my privilege to serve as STL’s President within the past year, and to be able to serve alongside such generous, giving and talented individuals. Without our volunteers, donors and prayerful supporters, our organization would cease to exist. It continues to amaze me to see volunteers coming together from different walks of life, uniting our skills and talents for something greater than ourselves. Our donors have also played an immense role in making our mission trips possible. Our donors support us because they believe in our mission, and their donations allow us to provide free vision screenings and customized glasses for when the busyness of life doesn’t allow them to attend mission trips themselves. We also believe that prayers from our supporters continue to keep our organization alive and thriving.

On behalf of our organization, I want to thank everybody who has supported See the Lord over the years. We are excited to see how STL will continue to grow in the near future.

Cheers to 15 years, and many more to come!