Our Team

Nicole was born and raised in Kelowna and has enjoyed spending her life here.  She began her career in the Optometric industry in August 2015 and quickly discovered vision care is something she is passionate about!  She loves the diverse aspects of her role as a Canadian Certified Optometric Assistant,...

Nikki was born and raised in Kelowna, B.C. and is always grateful to have her family nearby, including almost all twenty of her first cousins!  She has lived here her entire life aside from one year in Alberta, which is where she first discovered and became interested in the optical...

Originally from northern B.C., Taylor grew up in Enderby.  She became a Canadian Certified Optometric Assistant in 2013 while living in Smithers, and it's there that she met her husband, Nate.  Taylor most enjoys making the sometimes overwhelming process of getting glasses fun and stress-free.  She loves having a laugh with patients!  Taylor has experience and education with supporting adults and youth with diverse abilities, so is extra excited when she can combine those two passions.

She and her husband like to stay busy! Airsoft, team juggling, projects for the church, painting, piano, knitting/crocheting, jewelry making, reading, guitar, fishing, board games, volleyball, travelling, photography, baseball, camping, target shooting - next they want to learn foraging!

Pickled watermelon is Tay's favourite snack (if you're German, you probably know) and she is a huge dog lover ~ make sure to show her a photo of your dog when you come in!

A prairie girl from Regina, Saskatchewan, Christie moved to Kelowna almost 30 years ago and never looked back! (Eventually, her parents and brother followed her out here too!)

Christie considers it a privilege to have been able to raise her family in the Okanagan.  She has enjoyed all of the treasures the area has to offer, and her favourite still has to be an evening stroll downtown on the boardwalk.

With a few years of reception work under her belt, she happily joined the Visionfirst family in October 2020. There is not an aspect of her work day that she doesn’t enjoy!  She loves connecting with patients during the day, helping them meet their vision needs, and giving them that extra bit of confidence from selecting a super cute frame!  She looks forward to completing the Canadian Optometric Assistant certification throughout 2021-2022 and growing in her role at Visionfirst.

On the weekends, you will find her with friends and family, watching a sporting event or cheesy reality show, usually with a brown sugar oat americano in hand!

Sahar was born in Iran and, when she was four, moved to Turkey for the next five years.  After some time in San Francisco, Sahar lived in Vancouver, where she spent the next 20 years.  Finally, in 2019, she moved to the Okanagan where she fell in love with the peace and beauty of the valley!

Sahar is certified as a Paralegal and Medical Office Assistant, and will complete her Canadian Optometric Assistant certification in 2022.  She enjoys helping patients choose their first pair of glasses and loves seeing their confidence boost when they find frames that reflect their personality!  Sahar also loves educating patients on the many lens options.

When she is not at Visionfirst, Sahar can be found listening to music, golfing, playing board games, laying out in the sun, picking fruits from the backyard, going in the hot tub on cool evenings, watching scary movies, and spending time with family and friends.

Some interesting things about Sahar: she can’t have eggs without lemon or lime, she has 11 unique and colorful fish at home, and she cannot survive without coffee in the morning!  She is guilty of watching re-runs of Friends and King of Queens in the background while doing basically anything.  She hopes to learn how to ride a motorcycle and would love to travel back to Turkey again soon!

Tenaya is originally from the lower mainland.  She moved to the beautiful Okanagan  in 2014 with her family and hasn't looked back since.  She draws on her background in banking for precision and her experience as a nursing aid for compassion as she continues to serve our West Kelowna community at Visionfirst!  Joining the Visionfirst team in December 2020, Tenaya has begun her certification as a Canadian Optometric Assistant and looks forward to growing in her expertise and helping patients find their perfect pair of glasses!  Some of her favourite activities are surfing, hiking, and reading, and she enjoys looking after her crew at home, consisting of a King Charles Cavalier named Rusty, a cat named Princess Leia, and 3 fish.  Her favourite movie series is Star Wars and tv series is How I Met your Mother ~ throw a few quotes from these series into conversation and you'll be sure have caught Tenaya's attention.  She looks forward to seeing you at Visionfirst!