Before becoming a vision therapist, Sandy spent 18 years as a certified optician, building a strong foundation in eye care and patient support. She met Dr. Sis while working at Blaine Eye Clinic, where she was first introduced to the life-changing potential of vision therapy. Seeing firsthand how therapy helped children overcome vision challenges and gain confidence inspired Sandy to shift her career and join the Pediatric Vision Development Center team.

Today, Sandy is passionate about helping kids unlock their full potential through improved visual skills. She finds deep fulfillment in watching her young patients transform—gaining self-esteem, thriving in school, and reconnecting with activities they once avoided. Her goal is to make each session both impactful and enjoyable, creating a space where children feel supported and empowered.

Outside of work, Sandy is an avid Minnesota sports fan, with a special love for the MN Wild. She enjoys spending time outdoors on the lakes, gardening, snowmobiling, and making memories with her family.

After receiving her degree in Early Childhood Education from Moorhead State college, Mary taught preschool for a couple of years.  After staying home for 6 years with her two young girls, she still wanted to work with children, but wasn’t interested in a school setting, so becoming a vision therapist was perfect!

Mary’s oldest daughter went through vision therapy.  After seeing all her success, Mary was very interested in becoming a vision therapist.

She wants to be sure that parents and patients understand that she doesn’t want you to be afraid to ask questions and reach out if you need help with anything. “I am here to help!”

When she is not working, she enjoys spending time with her family, going to her girls’ activities, and spending time at the lake.

“I love watching how far patients come! And I especially love seeing their success!  There is something wonderful about the joy that patients get when they are able to complete a task.”

I was a teacher, sports coach, home daycare provider, and stay at home mom before finding my love of vision therapy.

My daughter went through vision therapy, and it was life changing!  We went from daily headaches and not being able to read to no headaches and now earning reading awards.  I saw how beneficial it was and how PVDC positively changes lives, and I wanted to be a part of that.

I love working one-on-one with patients and getting to know them over the course of vision therapy.  I also love seeing patients go from struggling with vision to hitting certain milestones and thriving.

It is important to me that our patients know that there is nothing wrong with them.  They aren’t slow or dumb, their eyes are making things difficult and it is fixable!  Their hard work will pay off!

When I am not working at PVDC, I love to coach sports, especially soccer.  I also love reading, doing puzzles, making crafts, hiking and camping with my family, and snuggling my cats!

Before becoming a part of the Pediatric Vision Development Center, I dedicated many years to being a stay-at-home mom. During that time, I volunteered at my children’s schools. In my previous professional life, I worked as a call center supervisor and an executive assistant.

I decided to join the clinic because my son participated in the program when it first launched in 2019. I recognized its value and wanted to contribute to transforming the lives of patients.

I truly love my job! Witnessing the transformation in children is incredibly rewarding. They arrive at the clinic feeling shy and anxious about what lies ahead, but they leave radiating with self-confidence, knowing they can tackle challenges. One of my favorite aspects is listening to their stories of small victories, such as mastering a book they’ve wanted to read, enhancing their baseball batting average, or being acknowledged as the most improved player.

I wish parents and patients knew how much this can change their lives.  My favorite quote from a patient who struggled for over a year was she is no longer “just surviving, she is now thriving”