Senshi Con is Anchorage's annual anime and manga convention. If you plan on attending for the first time, here are some terms that might be helpful to know. Click on the image to be linked to the article on Alaska Dispatch News.

It's been a while since I last wrote anything. But if you're looking for a new class to take, maybe check out my suggestions for useful college courses in the most recent issue of the Anchorage Press. Click on the photo to be linked to the article.

With mountains, rivers, auroras, and wildlife, any direction you look in Alaska is a sight to behold, and Nova Eyecare Center wants to make sure everyone is able to witness its beauty to the fullest. Originally founded as Family Eyecare Center in 1977 by Dr. Thomas Roselius, the practice has come to be recognized as an Anchorage leader in providing personalized vision and medical eye care for generations of Alaskan families.

Nova Eyecare Center’s current owner, Dr. Nhan Tran, understands the importance of family-focused eye care. “I was 12 years old when I got my first eye exam and glasses. My very first pair allowed me to see the leaves on a tree from 20 feet away. I thought that was amazing!” she recalls. “But I first wanted to become an eye doctor when I volunteered at an optometric practice during college. The doctor I volunteered for was unlike any of my previous doctors. He was thorough, detailed, and kind. I knew then I wanted to be just like him.”

After receiving her doctorate in 1998, Dr. Tran practiced ophthalmology in Southern California from 1999 to 2003. She then moved to Anchorage and eventually came to meet Dr. Roselius in August 2006. “We both had the same ideas of how eye care should be and I joined the practice immediately,” she describes. In January 2012, Dr. Tran took over Family Eyecare from Dr. Roselius and renamed it Nova Eyecare.

Dr. Tran knew she needed to expand the practice to keep up with their growing clientele and staff. While searching for a new home, she found a 20-year-old fixer-upper not far from their original midtown location. The next step was finding a financial institution to partner with. “I needed funding to remodel and went to three different banks in town and none of them were able to fund me in a timely manner,” explains Dr. Tran. “The leasing company then recommended that I talk to Robert McNaughton at Alaska USA. The rest, as they say, is history!”

In order to move forward with her goal of growing Nova Eyecare, Dr. Tran secured a business loan from Alaska USA. “I’m very grateful for Robert McNaughton, Dorothy Michael, and the Alaska USA team for their efforts. They’re fantastic, fabulous, and fun to work with. I couldn’t have achieved this dream without them! I love Alaska USA so much I switched all our accounts there!”

After four years of development and renovation, Nova Eyecare was able to relocate to their new location in April 2016. Dr. Tran describes their new location as a “state-of-the-art, family-oriented office and retail space with an open, modern concept. It’s been completely remodeled from the inside out! I’d say it gives Tudor Road the fresh look this community has yearned for.”

​While the new facility is a huge milestone for the practice, Dr. Tran already has her sights set on the future. “Next year Nova Eyecare will be celebrating 40 years in business,” she says. “We’d like to have another doctor join our practice and continue to grow, but never get too big that we forget who we’re serving. We love that we know all of our patients, their families, and friends. It really is a family eye care center!”