PERC Alliance and The AOA Foundation’s Optometry Cares have named Dr. Alelujah Ramirez of Houston and Dr. Jessi Sampson of Sutton, W.Va., as the recipients of the 2026 Golden Opportunity Award. The recipients were recognized during Optometry’s Meeting & AOA+ in Phoenix earlier this month.
Now in its third year, the Golden Opportunity Award provides $50,000 in financial support to emerging optometrists pursuing independent practice ownership, with an emphasis on underserved populations and underrepresented individuals within the profession.
Impacting Their Communities
Dr. Ramirez, a first-generation optometrist and daughter of immigrants, is launching Iris Eye Care & Eyewear in Houston. Her plans focus on developing a bilingual, community-focused practice designed to address language, access, and continuity-of-care barriers in an underserved community.
“Growing up in an immigrant household, I witnessed the barriers families face when navigating a healthcare system that wasn’t built with them in mind, and Iris Eye Care is my answer to that gap,” said Dr. Ramirez. “The Golden Opportunity Award gives me the resources and confidence to build something lasting for my patients and my community.”
Dr. Sampson is returning to her rural West Virginia hometown to establish an independent practice in Appalachia, serving a community where residents currently lack a local eye care provider within 100 miles.
“It is an incredible honor to be selected as a recipient of the Golden Opportunity Award,” said Dr. Sampson. “Coming from a rural background, I understand firsthand the challenges many communities face in accessing quality eye care, and this award is a meaningful affirmation of the impact independent practice can have on expanding access to care.”
About the Award and Applicants
The Golden Opportunity award was established in honor of PERC co-founder David Golden, OD, who passed away after a long-fought battle with cancer in 2021. The award reflects his commitment to entrepreneurship, independent optometry, and expanding access to quality eye care in communities where it is needed most. The award is supported by EssilorLuxottica, CooperVision, and other donors.
According to PERC Alliance and Optometry Cares, the 2026 application cycle drew a record number of applicants, making this year’s selection process the most competitive in the program’s history.
Applicants were evaluated by an independent selection board and participated in finalist interviews assessing leadership potential, community impact, business vision, and commitment to serving populations with limited access to care.
“The growth of this program is a testament to Dr. Golden’s vision and the passion so many optometrists have for independent practice ownership,” said Dr. Jason Lake, general manager of PERC Alliance. “The caliber of this year’s applicants made the selection process exceptionally difficult.”