They say home is where your heart is, and for many who have had the good fortune to attend NECO, the school will always hold a special place. For Yos Priestley, a 2010 graduate, that pull ultimately brought her back to the Boston area from sunny North Carolina.
After completing her NECO pediatric residency in 2011, Dr. Priestley began her career in private practice before joining the faculty at Duke Eye Center, where she practiced and taught for more than a decade. In August 2025, she returned to Massachusetts to open her own private practice, Bright Eyes Needham, offering comprehensive family eye care with a focus on myopia management, vision therapy, and specialty contact lenses — areas she first developed a passion for during her time at NECO.
Practice ownership appealed to Dr. Priestley because it offered the opportunity to shape both the clinical focus and the patient experience. She reflects, “When it really came down to it, I knew that the only way to find my dream job was to create it. But I also wanted this to be a place where patients enjoy coming in and feel welcomed, cared for, and known as individuals.”
While work–life balance can be elusive in the early days of a cold start, Bright Eyes Needham continues to grow, and Dr. Priestley is grateful to be building her practice in the place where her professional journey began.
