Taryn Johnn, one of three New Zealand SnowViz scholars 2025

This year’s SnowViz (formerly Snowvision) scholars have been announced. Optometrists Taryn Johnn, Hannah Kang and Tess McCaffrey have been selected to attend the State University of New York (SUNY) for four weeks to improve their clinical optometry skills.

Since 1997, the trustees of the Snowvision Charitable Trust has offered annual SUNY scholarships of up to $8,000 to two or three New Zealand optometrists, to be used within five years of being granted.

Taryn Johnn (pictured above) – A 1999 graduate of the University of Durban-Westville (now the University of KwaZulu-Natal), South Africa, Taryn Johnn and her husband immigrated to Australia at the end of 2009. “In 2011 we travelled to New Zealand and fell in love with its beauty and diverse landscapes. In 2017 we decided to make it our permanent home,” she says. The Johnns have lived in Cromwell for the past six years. “We are very happy here. I love working for Central Otago Optical’s Alexandra practice.”

Johnn recently added qualifications in vision therapy for visual dysfunctions and neuro-optometric care to her specialisations in children’s visual learning, vision therapy and binocular vision. The way SUNY’s optical dispensers approach visual assessment and manage visual conditions is on a different level and their techniques and tools are advanced, she says. “I am excited to learn from their expertise. In New Zealand I see a significant number of patients with concussion, so I am keen to learn as much as I can to help them in their recovery journey.”

Having never visited the US before, Johnn says she is “just thrilled” to visit New York. “I am looking forward to seeing the 9/11 Memorial and soaking up the vibrant culture and history that makes the city iconic. I enjoy photography, so seeing the city and Central Park will be a creative adventure.”

Hannah Kang – Clinical optometrist Hannah Kang says she’s absolutely delighted to have been selected for the SUNY scholarship. After working in the community for the past 15 years as a primary care optometrist, she is now based at The Terrace Eye Centre in Wellington. “I felt it was time for a new chapter and this year has been an especially exciting one professionally.”

Since joining the ophthalmology clinic, Kang has worked closely with Dr James Leong, which has opened up a “fascinating new world” of retinal diseases and uveitis, she says. “I am keen to learn more about the role of optometrists in these areas at SUNY. I am also particularly interested in exploring advanced dry eye management and myopia control.”

Kang says she hopes her first New York visit will include taking in an orchestral performance at Carnegie Hall, a Broadway musical and a chance to explore MoMA. “I’m also looking forward to classic New Yorker experiences, like enjoying a bagel and coffee in Central Park, grabbing a slice of pizza after a stroll through Greenwich Village and visiting the One World Trade Center. As a keen renovator, I’m especially excited to draw inspiration from the city’s architecture.”

Tess McCaffrey – A 2018 University of Auckland summer studentship awardee, Tess McCaffrey graduated in 2020 and has worked at Mortimer Hirst Optometrist in Auckland since 2021. She specialises in contact lenses and is interested in expanding her knowledge in this while at SUNY. However, she is also especially keen to attend SUNY’s visual rehabilitation clinic. “It has a great reputation, as does its clinic for inherited retinal diseases, which are not something I see very often.”

Prior to studying optometry, McCaffrey worked as a lifeguard for a summer camp in upstate New York in the States for a few months but says she only had a few days to see the city itself. “I’ve been keen to go back ever since. While I’m excited to revisit all the classic New York locations, I’m also eager for the opportunity to see a more local side of New York and experience living in such a vibrant city.”

The SnowViz conference returns to Queenstown 5–8 August 2026.