Joy

Joy began her career as an optician in the northwest suburbs of Chicago right after graduating from high school.  “My first job with a large optical lens distributor gave me a very fast and very complete education.  I worked with a huge variety of doctors and optometrists who ordered lenses from us and then did the final edging for their patients.  But after a few years, I decided to move to an optical finishing lab in order to learn that part of the eyewear industry.”    

When Joy was offered the opportunity to buy out her new boss, what had started out as merely a job ended up being her own business.  She learned new skills and technologies as she and her team produced hundreds of custom lenses each month.  But eventually  Joy was enticed away from the lab side of opticianry when two of her clients, an ophthalmologist and optometrist in private practice, asked her to begin working exclusively with them.  She accepted the challenge and discovered she loved working directly with patients.  “I’d been investing all those years, increasing my knowledge and skill level, in order to be able to help patients in a one-on-one situation.”

 My move to the Wheaton Eye Clinic was the next natural step because I found I especially enjoy working to solve patients’ unique medical needs.  The variety of patients here, combined with our exceptional in-house finishing lab, makes this a wonderful place for me to work.”

Joy, the mother of a grown son, says she loves her classic car collection almost as much as she loves her border collie, Cosmo.  Joy sees patients in the Wheaton optical department.