- Dr. Justin Michaels about his son, Jacob
Our parents of Arborland play a vital role in shaping our community and enriching the educational experience for all students. Their dedication fosters a supportive environment where children thrive academically and socially.
An Interview with Dr. Justin Michaels of Eye Care for You Optometry
We spoke with Dr. Michaels to discover more about his family story and the origins of his business.
Q: Please share your children's ages, classrooms, and the years they attended/are attending Arborland.
We started at Arborland when Jacob was in 2nd grade. We transferred him from Fairmont Private School to Fisler Public School, but we weren’t happy with either. He got lost in the large crowd of kids. After learning about Montessori schools, we moved him to Arborland. The difference was immediate—Arborland provided the support and care Jacob needed. He’s a smart kid, but he needed accountability, and Arborland offered just that. Jacob is now a junior at Sunny Hills High School. Jolie started in pre-K and she is in 8th grade. Jax began in preschool at Arborland and he is in 3rd grade. We’ve been very pleased with the school. Even though Arborland is small, Jacob has thrived socially and academically in high school.
Q: As a parent, what's your favorite memory at Arborland?
There are so many things I love about Arborland, but my favorite is DDD Day (Dads, Donuts, and Dodgeballs). It gives me a chance to connect with my kids, which is important since I’m busy as an entrepreneur and not always present. Arborland really values quality one-on-one time with children, and I’ve kept the gifts they gave me from that day. Program-wise, I also love the recitals. Every year, the children perform so well, and they gain confidence in public speaking. I’m especially impressed by how the 6th graders emcee the recitals at a large auditorium—it really prepares them for future communication and leadership.
Q: Could you share more about Jacob’s journey into finance?
Jacob has always been curious about how to be successful, and he's naturally drawn to money and financial topics. During his time at Arborland as a junior high student, he learned about financial responsibility, which sparked his interest. His grandmother has been a day trader for many years, and Jacob started trading stocks in junior high at Arborland. Now, he wakes up at 6 AM every day to trade before going to school, and he’s actually making a decent profit. Sometimes I joke that I should follow his investment advice, just like how Tyler’s mom mentioned missing out on Nvidia stocks because she didn’t listen to Tyler!
Located in La Habra, CA, Eye Care for You Optometry has been providing essential vision and eye care services for over 15 years, serving the communities of Fullerton, Brea, and La Habra.
Q: How did you get into optometry?
I attended UC San Diego, majoring in animal physiology and neuroscience with a pre-med focus. It was after my time volunteering in the ICU department of Scripps Memorial Hospital that I realized becoming a medical doctor wasn’t for me. A friend from church was an optometrist, and after shadowing him, I became interested in the field. It was a perfect fit because I wanted to be both in healthcare and an entrepreneur. My wife, on the other hand, has a different story—she had poor vision as a child and had to visit her optometrist frequently. Those experiences inspired her to become an optometrist, too, so she could help kids with similar struggles.
Q: What do you like most about your profession?
When I graduated from optometry school in 2004, there wasn’t much focus on myopia progression and control. But around 2010, treatments to slow myopia became more prominent, and I found that aspect of the profession exciting. It’s incredibly rewarding to help children manage their myopia and prevent it from worsening, especially knowing that I can make a difference in my own kids' vision. That sense of purpose is what I love most about my work.
Q: Could you share some fascinating facts about eye health that people might not know?
There are a lot of misconceptions about eye health. For example, many people think wearing glasses will make their eyesight worse, and they’re hesitant to update their prescription. But in reality, wearing the correct prescription doesn’t weaken your eyes. In fact, wearing glasses that are too weak or not wearing them at all can cause more harm. Our eye muscles don’t work like other muscles—using them more won’t strengthen them. It’s important to keep your prescription up to date. If you’re under 30, an eye exam every couple of years might be enough, but ideally, you should get one annually, even if your vision hasn’t changed. During these exams, we don’t just check your sight; we also look for diseases like glaucoma or early signs of diabetes, high blood pressure, and cholesterol issues. You can have perfect vision but still have underlying health concerns, and it’s my job to catch those early and refer you to the right specialists.
Q: What are some exciting advancements in optometry?
From an optometrist’s perspective, myopia control is one of the most important areas of progress. Research has shown that certain factors stimulate the worsening of myopia. With advancements in technology, we now have specialized glasses, contact lenses, and even prescription eye drops that can trick the eyes into slowing their growth. This helps prevent myopia from getting worse over time, which is a significant breakthrough. We begin myopia control therapy in children as young as 8 years of age, as soon as they start showing the development of nearsightedness.
Q: What can we do to protect our eyes?
To protect our kids’ vision, we would ideally reduce time spent reading, studying, or using devices up close. But of course, parents want their children to succeed, so there’s always a balance. One key step is reducing blue light exposure. Blue light, especially from screens, strains the eyes, disrupts sleep, and can possibly damage the retina over a prolonged time of exposure. It’s becoming common to include blue light filters in all glasses and we often recommend glasses for patients that use devices a lot to reduce strain and decrease the risk of the eyes getting worse. I also recommend spending two hours outdoors each day, taking breaks every 20–30 minutes when using devices, and avoiding looking at things too closely for long periods of time.
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