Dr. Mia Fripps is a Richmond native. Her love of optometry is deep rooted in her genes, as she is the third generation of optometrist in her family. When she was just 14 years of age, she began working in her great uncle’s office, Dr. John L. Howlette, in downtown Richmond. Her family still laughs at how she used to follow him around with her little note pad and lab coat. She could easily say she knew that this was her chosen profession when Dr. Howlette gave her her first pair of glasses at 10 years old and she could see leaves on the tree. But, there was a more monumental moment that made the decision for her. By performing a very thorough eye examination, Dr. Howlette was able to discover a brain tumor in a patient who was suffering with headaches. Young Dr. Fripps was amazed at how he had saved this lady’s life through an eye examination and from that moment on she knew that this was the career for her.
After graduating from Richmond Community High School, she went on to receive her Bachelors Degree from Christopher Newport University where she majored in Biology and minored in Chemistry. Dr. Fripps then travelled to Philadelphia and completed her Doctorate at the Pennsylvania College of Optometry, in 2010. In addition to her general optometry doctorate, she completed the advanced program in Pediatrics and Binocular Vision. Dr. Fripps has had the opportunity to work with world renowned Doctors in Philadelphia and Newport News. She specializes in General Optometry and pediatrics but enjoys patients of all ages.