The AOA Foundation and PERC Alliance Announce 2026 Golden Opportunity Award Recipients

St. Louis, MO— May 28, 2026 —The AOA Foundation and PERC Alliance are proud to announce Dr. Alelujah Ramirez and Dr. Jessi Sampson as the recipients of the 2026 Golden Opportunity Award. Established in memory of David Golden, O.D., co-founder of the Professional Eyecare Resource Co-Operative Alliance (PERC), the award helps aspiring independent optometrists overcome financial barriers to practice ownership and invest in their futures.

“These outstanding doctors embody Dr. Golden’s spirit of leadership, compassion, and commitment to improving access to care,” said Dr. Jason Lake, General Manager of PERC Alliance. “Through the Golden Opportunity Award, we’re proud to support emerging practice owners who are making a meaningful difference in their communities.”

Inspired by Dr. Golden’s dedication to mentorship, entrepreneurship, and expanding opportunities within the profession, the program empowers optometrists from underrepresented backgrounds and those committed to serving underserved communities, helping create a more equitable future for optometry.

The recipients will be recognized at the American Optometric Association’s (AOA) annual Optometry’s Meeting®, taking place June 17–20, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. Each awardee will receive $50,000 to help establish their first independent optometry practice.

2026 Golden Opportunity Award Recipients

Alelujah Ramirez, O.D.
Dr. Alelujah Ramirez, a graduate of the University of Houston College of Optometry, plans to launch Iris Eye Care & Eyewear in Houston’s EaDo/East End neighborhood, a diverse and medically underserved area with significant gaps in access to vision care. Her practice will focus on bilingual patient care, extended evening and weekend hours, and management of chronic eye and health conditions, including diabetic eye disease, dry eye, and myopia management.

“Winning this award is such an incredible honor. It gives me the freedom to build the kind of practice I've always believed in—one where I can slow down, spend real time with my patients, and help them understand why their eye health matters. My goal is for Iris Eye Care & Eyewear to become a trusted part of the EaDo community, not just a place people visit once, but a practice families come back to for years. This award will help me invest in the infrastructure and access initiatives that allow me to serve my community in ways they deserve to be served,” says Dr. Ramirez.

Jessi Sampson, O.D.
Dr. Jessi Sampson, a graduate of the Kentucky College of Optometry, plans to open Sampson Eye Care in Flatwoods/Braxton County, West Virginia, a deeply rural and medically underserved region where she was raised. Currently practicing at Whittington Eye Care Associates, Dr. Sampson has already established a strong clinical track record while generating more than $1.1 million in annual clinical revenue. Her new practice will become the only full-time optometry office within a 50-mile radius, helping expand access to essential eye care services in her hometown community.

“Receiving the Golden Opportunity Award is an incredible honor and affirmation of the dream that inspired me to open my practice. As a new optometrist and business owner in rural West Virginia, my goal has always been to provide exceptional eye care while building meaningful relationships within the community I serve. This recognition reinforces the importance of investing in independent optometry and expanding access to quality care for patients in underserved areas. I am deeply grateful to the AOA for its support and for helping make this vision a reality,” says Dr. Sampson.

To support the Golden Opportunity Award program and help future recipients achieve their dream of practice ownership, donations may be made through The AOA Foundation.

About PERC Alliance

Established in 2008 by a group of optometrists, PERC is a collective purchasing organization committed to helping optometric practices achieve savings and boost profitability. With over 7,500 practices in its network, they leverage collective bargaining power to secure exclusive discounts on essential products and services.

About The AOA Foundation

The AOA Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to empowering the optometric profession and expanding awareness of and access to quality health and vision care. Through its programs and partnerships, the Foundation honors the past, strengthens the present, and helps build the future of optometry to improve health and well-being. To learn more, please visit aoafoundation.org.  

About The American Optometric Association

The American Optometric Association (AOA) represents more than 50,000 doctors of optometry, students and professionals who provide the majority of eye health and vision care in over 10,000 U.S. communities. As the leading voice for quality eye care, the AOA advances the profession through cutting-edge education, practice-changing resources, singular advocacy, and public education about the profession, ensuring patients nationwide have trusted access to essential, in-person eye health and vision care with member doctors of optometry.