Finding myself driven towards the field of Opticianry is rather surprising to say the least. Growing up, I always wanted to be a doctor, a pediatrician to be exact. As I grew older, and life started happening those plans quickly changed giving birth to my son at 20 years old and my younger brother passing away 2 years later at the young age of 19. I found myself coping with a lot of changes within such a short span of time I prolonged my education. Fast forward to 2023, my son is now 15 years old and I strive daily to make him proud and show him no matter what comes your way, stay true to yourself and what makes you happy. I decided to pursue Nursing as the medical field has always been my passion and was accepted into Rasmussen University. During this time, I was hired part time at America’s Best as a Certified Optometric Technician within the first 60 days of employment and little did I know the love I would have found in this field! I struggled through the course Pathophysiology falling short two times from passing the class with the passing score of 78%. Given the struggles, I found myself leaning more on pursuing my newfound passion for Optical. After several conversations with my General Manager, I decided to make the permanent change to become a Licensed Optician and would be able to finish the new field of choice in the same time as I would have become a Registered Nurse. Once I become a Licensed Optician, I plan on working towards building my own Optical practice to be able to partner with the community and give back to the less fortunate. I would be in search of an Optometrist who is as passionate as myself to help the less fortunate. I want to dedicate a day or two out of each month where we provide free eye services as well as a pair of glasses to those who are in need. I also will be partnering with any local charities or organizations that provide information or assistance with Optical education. As my love for the field has grown, so has my curiosity about the effects of not attending to your vision and how it impacts owns life in general. Giving back to the less fortunate provides me the satisfaction in some way of feeling close to the loss of my brother as he was very much involved with helping our community in anyway he could. Not only does it help the people around us who are in need, but it builds character and helping mold my son into his best ability is my absolute prized possession. I am beyond excited to fulfill this passion of mine and becoming a Licensed Optician while actively working in the field to have the best knowledge all around.