The last few months have been challenging, but they’ve also reminded me why I do what I do. I am proud to be an optometrist because it empowers me to provide affordable health care to my community. I am able to put a smile on a patient’s face by improving their vision. I am able to have an immediate, life-changing impact on patients– whether that’s through detection of a serious health issue, by providing them with the right pair of reading or computer glasses, or by telling them to use artificial tears to fix an issue that’s been disrupting their days. There are countless stories in my 7 yearlong optometric career that I can remember that involve bringing a smile to a patient’s face.