Alumna focuses on helping others
Meridian business owner Shana Thedford is focused on helping others.
“I love people, and I love being able to make a difference in their lives,” Thedford said in her optical dispensing office, The Optical Solution, surrounded by lenses and eyeglass frames in a business where she has been at the helm for approximately five years.
This Meridian Community College alumna (Classes of 2001 and 2002) sees meaning behind the phrase of the eyes being the windows to the soul, and there's more to that. She often sees clues about her clients' health through their eyes.
Receiving her associate of arts degree in University Transfer in 2001, Thedford returned to MCC to earn her associate of applied science degree in Medical Laboratory Technology. She also received a chemistry degree chemistry from a Mississippi university. Along the way, she also earned a mortician practitioner's degree.
Inspired by her grandmother, who was on dialysis, Thedford said her path to a career in medicine started with her MCC Medical Lab Technology studies. She would later work in medical labs, including those that performed genetic studies, but when she attended a conference, she was introduced to the world of eye care. She also met her future husband, Rodrick Dale.
“Going into eyecare allowed me to apply everything I had acquired,” Thedford said.
As a small business owner, the investment in employees is crucial; Thedford finds it essential to partner with MCC and helps mentor youths through one of the college's programs. "I have to meet people where they are," she said.
"I enjoy what I do. Because if you enjoy what you do, it’s never work,” she said.