Dr. Tonyatta T. Hairston
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Dr. Tonyatta Hairston is a native of Jackson, Mississippi. She is a proud product of Jackson Public Schools where she graduated from Callaway High School. She received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Biology from Tougaloo College in Tougaloo, Mississippi. Dr. Hairston attended Southern College of Optometry (SCO) in Memphis, Tennessee, where she graduated in 2001 with honors. While at SCO, she was a Dean's List Student, recipient of the Clinical Science Award, Student of the Year, and the Gold Key International Honor Society President. She studied at externships including Keesler Medical Center in Biloxi, Mississippi, Dr. Dewey Handy Optometry in Jackson, Mississippi, and Dr. Watts Davis in Laurel, Mississippi, where she was trained extensively in the treatment of ocular diseases, contact lenses, pediatric optometry, and pre and post-surgical eye care.
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Once completing her medical studies, Dr. Hairston returned to Jackson where she was employed for two years before venturing into establishing her own practice. She was determined to open a private practice that catered to her patients' visual and eye health needs, providing designer eyewear while also contributing to economic development by adding new jobs to the city of Jackson. Dr. Hairston has been in private practice for 22 years in Jackson. Her practice is located in the historic Belhaven District across from the Baptist Hospital and is comprised of pediatric to geriatric patients.
Some of Dr. Hairston's accolades included being named Mississippi's Young Optometrist of the Year and serving as President of the Mississippi Optometric Association. Dr. Hairston was a member of the 2011-2012 Class of Leadership Greater Jackson and served as Chairperson of the Board of Leadership Greater Jackson in 2015. She recently received her board certification for Advanced Surgical Procedures in Optometry which only a small percent of Optometrist have attained. Dr. Hairston has been named Best of Jackson in the Optometry/Ophthalmology Division for the last four years by the Jackson Free Press.
Dr. Hairston is a sustaining member of the Junior League of Jackson. As an active member of the Junior League of Jackson, Dr. Hairston has served on several community projects, including the Merit Store at CARE, the summer reading program at Operation Shoestring, and Rockin' Mommas in the Neonatal ICU at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. In addition, she served two years on the Nominating Committee for the Junior League of Jackson and was the Placement Chair for Mistletoe Marketplace in 2019. Dr. Hairston has been an Adjunct Professor for extern students at Southern College of Optometry in Memphis, Tennessee, and the University of Alabama in Birmingham, Alabama.
Additionally, Dr. Hairston publicly speaks on eye care and entrepreneurship topics. She has been a guest speaker at Southern College of Optometry, the Mississippi Head Start Conference, the West Jackson Rotary Club, Tougaloo College, the Entrepreneur Leadership Program at Jackson State University, and the University of Southern Mississippi.
Philanthropically, Dr. Hairston has committed financial support to Tougaloo College, Jackson State University, and Jackson Public Schools, as well as other non-profit organizations supporting students in the metro area. Dr. Hairston has been featured in numerous newspapers and magazines, including a national publication in Women in Optometry. Her current civic and social organizations include a general member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, and the Lefleur's Bluff Chapter of The Links, Incorporated, where she serves as The Arts Chair.
When she is not seeing patients and serving in the community, Dr. Hairston loves to run marathons, enjoys playing tennis and classical piano, and has a passion for interior design and traveling. She is a self-proclaimed FOODIE and hopes to complete a half marathon each month this year for a total of 157.2 miles that she will run during races.
Some of Dr. Hairston's accolades included being named Mississippi's Young Optometrist of the Year and serving as President of the Mississippi Optometric Association. Dr. Hairston was a member of the 2011-2012 Class of Leadership Greater Jackson and served as Chairperson of the Board of Leadership Greater Jackson in 2015. She recently received her board certification for Advanced Surgical Procedures in Optometry which only a small percent of Optometrist have attained. Dr. Hairston has been named Best of Jackson in the Optometry/Ophthalmology Division for the last four years by the Jackson Free Press.
Dr. Hairston is a sustaining member of the Junior League of Jackson. As an active member of the Junior League of Jackson, Dr. Hairston has served on several community projects, including the Merit Store at CARE, the summer reading program at Operation Shoestring, and Rockin' Mommas in the Neonatal ICU at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. In addition, she served two years on the Nominating Committee for the Junior League of Jackson and was the Placement Chair for Mistletoe Marketplace in 2019. Dr. Hairston has been an Adjunct Professor for extern students at Southern College of Optometry in Memphis, Tennessee, and the University of Alabama in Birmingham, Alabama.
Additionally, Dr. Hairston publicly speaks on eye care and entrepreneurship topics. She has been a guest speaker at Southern College of Optometry, the Mississippi Head Start Conference, the West Jackson Rotary Club, Tougaloo College, the Entrepreneur Leadership Program at Jackson State University, and the University of Southern Mississippi.
Philanthropically, Dr. Hairston has committed financial support to Tougaloo College, Jackson State University, and Jackson Public Schools, as well as other non-profit organizations supporting students in the metro area. Dr. Hairston has been featured in numerous newspapers and magazines, including a national publication in Women in Optometry. Her current civic and social organizations include a general member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, and the Lefleur's Bluff Chapter of The Links, Incorporated, where she serves as The Arts Chair.
When she is not seeing patients and serving in the community, Dr. Hairston loves to run marathons, enjoys playing tennis and classical piano, and has a passion for interior design and traveling. She is a self-proclaimed FOODIE and hopes to complete a half marathon each month this year for a total of 157.2 miles that she will run during races.