The Next Move: Dr. Katie Chu’s Journey of Faith, Family, and Optometry

In the latest episode of Ryan Reflects, I had the joy of sitting down with Dr. Katie Chu, an optometrist, community leader, and woman of deep faith whose personal and professional journey is as inspiring as it is heartfelt.

Dr. Chu’s story began in Los Angeles, where she grew up in an immigrant household shaped by over 160 years of family sacrifice and resilience. As the first in her family to be born in the United States, her eventual career in healthcare represented not only a personal achievement but a multigenerational milestone.

But healthcare wasn’t her first choice. Dr. Chu initially dreamed of becoming a high school biology teacher. It wasn’t until love and a classmate’s journey into optometry nudged her in a new direction that she considered a different path. That path led her to SCCO, then back to serve the very immigrant community that raised her, for nearly 30 years.

“Every morning when I walk into my office, the chess set in the waiting room reminds me to ask, what is the next move God is going to make for me?”– Dr. Katie Chu

Following Her Heart and Her Faith

Throughout our conversation, one theme kept surfacing: Dr. Chu’s unwavering commitment to following her heart. From marrying a fellow optometrist in school to raising two strong daughters, one now a U.S. Marine officer, the other a senior marketing leader in the NFL, Dr. Chu has allowed purpose and intuition to guide her steps.

It was her younger daughter’s testimony of being called to military service through a dream that reignited Dr. Chu’s own spiritual reflection. That moment reshaped her life. She began asking herself bigger questions: What is my purpose? How am I serving others not just as an optometrist, but as a human being?

“I realized that in all these years of serving patients,” she said, “they were also spiritually serving me.”

Living Boldly into a New Chapter

Over the past year and a half, Dr. Chu has experienced what she calls a spiritual awakening. Her renewed faith has fueled her confidence, quieted her inner imposter, and brought deeper meaning to every patient interaction. She prays with patients, reflects with them, and even tears up alongside them in the exam room. Her office has become more than a clinic. It’s a place of healing.

That journey of healing now continues with a bold new vision: transitioning to a 50/50 life split between California and Hawaii. Dr. Chu recently brought on an associate, Dr. Kenneth Kao, who will begin sharing the patient load. Her plan is to practice the first two weeks of each month in California and spend the remaining two weeks in Hawaii, resting, reflecting, and writing the next chapter of her life.

“It’s not about retiring tomorrow,” she said. “It’s about starting now to leave a legacy, one that honors my community and the people I’ve served all these years.”

Dr. Katie Chu Invests in Her Legacy

Even as she plans her eventual exit, Dr. Chu is investing in the future. At the recent Vision Source Exchange, she committed $80,000 to new technology, upgrading to digital phoropters and a new OCT, remodeling her optical with iDesigns, and ensuring her associate inherits a thriving modern practice.

“Independent optometry is alive and well,” she said. “And I want to leave something behind that my community deserves.”

Final Thoughts

Dr. Chu’s story is one of rediscovery, courage, and trusting in something greater than oneself. She reminds us that it’s okay not to have it all figured out, that it’s okay to change direction, and that it’s more than okay to live authentically.

Her parting words for fellow optometrists and listeners?

“Be the best version of you. Live boldly. Trust in your faith, whatever that may be, and the energy of the universe will lift you.”

You can reach Dr. Katie Chu via LinkedIn or email her at katiewchu@gmail.com.

To hear the full episode and more inspiring stories, subscribe to Ryan Reflects on your favorite podcast platform.