Growing up in a small Arkansas town, Dr. Kayli Standridge learned early the value of hard work, family, and community. Today, those same values guide her practice at Graystone Eye (with locations in Hickory, Lenoir, Lincolnton, Boone, and North Wilkesboro) where she blends clinical expertise with compassion to help patients see more clearly—both in eyesight and in life.
Growing up in Dardanelle, a small town at the foothills of the Ozarks, she was one of five children in a close-knit family. “If my weekends weren’t spent on a ball field, they were spent in the pastures on my parents’ farm,” she recalls. Sports, cheerleading, and community activities filled her youth, but it was a career shadowing experience in high school that sparked her interest in optometry.
“What stood out to me was how rewarding it felt,” she shares. “Helping people see clearly has such an immediate and meaningful impact on their daily lives.” That spark led her to the University of Central Arkansas. There, she graduated magna cum laude with a degree in biology before earning her Doctor of Optometry from the Southern College of Optometry in Memphis. Clinical externships at the Greenville VA Medical Center in North Carolina and Volunteer Eye Care in Knoxville, Tennessee, deepened her skills in both medical and primary eye care.
Dr. Standridge says her greatest inspiration comes from her mother. “She treats everyone with genuine care and compassion and is always willing to go the extra mile for those around her,” she smiles. “Watching the way she serves others has shaped how I want to care for my patients.”
Outside the exam room, Dr. Standridge makes intentional space for family, friends, and hobbies. “Balance comes from being intentional with my time and priorities,” she says. She enjoys trying new restaurants, cooking, hiking, and watching sports. Travel is also a passion, and her most recent adventure included Spain, Italy, and France, with a highlight at the Monaco Grand Prix. Next up: Scotland, where she’ll test her golf swing at St. Andrews. “People might be surprised to know that I’ll be playing golf there next July as a rookie golfer,” she laughs.
For Dr. Standridge, clear vision extends beyond eyesight. It’s about living with purpose, compassion, and connection. “Eye care is unique in that I often see patients year after year, which allows me to really get to know them and their families over time,” she says. “I value being a consistent part of their health journey and someone they can trust with their care.”
