Tonya Harris (B.S. ’14, M.Ed. ’16) and Toya Harris (B.S. ’14, M.Ed. ’16), identical twins from Garland, Texas, grew up in a close-knit extended family as best friends and confidantes. Now at 33, they remain inseparable. From sharing a dorm room at The University of Texas at Austin to opening their own chiropractic practice, their shared interests and academic experiences have shaped every step of their path.
The Harris sisters learned early on that family takes care of each other – a value they carried with them as gateway scholars in the College of Education where they studied sport management. During their time at UT Austin, both Tonya and Toya worked in customer relations within UT Athletics and the Stark Center while finding time to play intramural softball.
After completing their bachelor’s degrees, they earned their master’s degrees in kinesiology at COE. They went on to receive additional master’s degrees in functional nutrition and doctorates in chiropractic medicine at Parker University.
Even at a young age, Tonya and Toya were determined to pursue careers in athletics and health. At just 16 years old, they set their sights on becoming sports agents. Soon after, they began researching degrees and assessing sport management programs that could help them achieve their goals. At the time, we noticed that Texas had the number one program in the state and was nationally ranked in the top 10,
Tonya said. Going to college together felt very natural.
They are not only aligned academically. The sisters share extremely similar personalities and approach their ambitions with the same steady mindset. We’ve never tried to be similar,
Tonya said. We just are.
In 2021, they opened The BluePrint in Dallas, their chiropractic practice, right in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the inherent challenges of launching a business during such an uncertain time, the sisters pushed on. Because chiropractors were considered essential workers, they were able to continue serving clients amid widespread shutdowns.
Our business model changed abruptly,
Toya said. We shifted our focus to a concierge model where we could still provide care to our immunocompromised patients that were confined to their homes.
Both sisters reflected on the invaluable problem-solving skills they developed at COE, and credited KHE professors Dr. Matt Bowers and Dr. Tolga Ozyurtcu with teaching them how to think and work creatively. Our critical thinking skills and, most importantly, the ability to adapt were greatly shaped by our experiences in their classrooms,
Tonya said.
Learning how to write successful business plans also played a strategic role in opening The BluePrint. Dr. Bowers told us the plan is a living breathing document which will evolve with time,
Toya said. Ours had to evolve faster than we ever thought, but we made it work.
The Harris sisters say they inherited their entrepreneurial drive from their family – both their parents and grandparents owned their own businesses.
I’m very grateful that we’ve been able to learn how to run a business from them including the joys, hard work and sacrifices that come along with having something of your own,
Toya said.
Their broad scope of work and research within KHE taught them flexibility above all else, along with the now-ingrained habit of testing and retesting theories until they arrive at the right course of treatment. They learned how to lean into their individual strengths as practitioners.
Every day is truly one big science experiment,
Tonya said. You never really fail as long as you keep moving toward the overarching objective of helping the person in front of you achieve their movement goals.
