Since childhood, I knew that I wanted to pursue a career serving others in healthcare, and I was fortunate enough to make that aspiration a reality as I graduated Summa Cum Laude from the Honors College at the University of Southern Mississippi, and enrolled at the Pennsylvania College of Optometry (PCO) at Salus University. After a rigorous educational program, and clinical externships in South Carolina, North Carolina, Florida, and Pennsylvania, I graduated with Clinical Honors from PCO.
Subsequent to obtaining my Doctor of Optometry degree, I found that I had a continued appetite for learning, thus I further advanced my education through a residency program at the W. G. (Bill) Hefner VA Medical Center in Salisbury, North Carolina. The experience of learning under an outstanding group of attending physicians, serving a special population of patients, expanding my expertise in disease management, learning alongside surgeons while at the operating table, and presenting at a national conference, was more than worthwhile. An added bonus was the ability to lead a group fourth-year optometry students on a medical mission trip via Lion’s Club/SVOSH, to Guanajuato, Mexico, where we provided eye care to over 1000 members of the community.
As I transitioned from residency to private practice, I found Charlotte to be a new home, and through mentoring, volunteering, and connecting with new people, I began to plant myself in the city. Now, after over a decade in the Queen City, I have established myself in a great profession, and have become more involved as obtained a Fellowship with the American Academy of Optometry, proctored for the National Board, and served on the executive board for the Piedmont Optometric Society.
When away from the office, I love to enjoy food and wine with friends, chat with family, drop into the occasional yoga class, and making my way to the Charlotte Douglas International Airport to explore domestic and international destinations and see what the rest of the world has to offer!