Dr. Esther Nakagawara, FAAO

Dr. Esther Nakagawara, FAAO

Dr. Nakagawara graduated from the University of Tulsa in Tulsa, OK with a BS in Biochemistry and minor in mathematics in 2006. In 2010, she graduated from the University of California Berkeley School of Optometry. During this time, she was a member of Beta Sigma Kappa International Optometric Honor Society and received awards for clinical honors, contact lenses, patient education, and leadership. She completed her clinical externships at the OMNI Eye Services in Atlanta, GA; Mayo Clinic Arizona in Scottsdale, AZ; Raymond G. Murphy VA Medical Center in Albuquerque, NM; and Southern Arizona VA Health Care System in Case Grande, AZ. In 2011, she completed her primary care residency at the William G. Hefner VA Medical Center, which included clinics in primary care, ocular disease, specialty contact lens, and low vision. After completing her educational training, Dr. Nakagawara has worked in primary care in the Raleigh/Cary area. She earned her fellowship from the American Academy of Optometry, and has assisted as a mentor for other candidates for fellowship. She also serves as a co-coordinator for the North Carolina Optometric Society Young ODs events. 
Dr. Nakagawara was born in Hawaii, raised in Oklahoma, and moved to North Carolina after graduating optometry school. She often attends optometric conferences with her father, a retired optometrist. Her parents reside in Hawaii while her sister and two nieces live in Florida. In her spare time, Dr. Nakagawara enjoys reading, movies, cooking, traveling, boxing, traveling, playing trivia, going to concerts, and visiting local restaurants.